UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users

tar: write error: unexpected EOF

I usually encounter this when I'm doing backup to Dat72 tape. Here's the command
gzip all files in a directory then tar cvfp /dev/rmt/0n files. Not all files are copied. Any things I should look at? Directory size?

---------- Post updated at 05:20 PM ---------- Previous update was at 02:44 PM ----------

follow up question:

Dat72 should not be full. I added the size of all the files and it resulted to the ff

a. 22G (all 1-40.gz files) : no error tape1
b. 42G (all 41-52.gz files and cctemp.Z* files) : with error tar: write error: unexpected EOF tape2

the command is tar cvf so I think the 42G will still be compressed. do you think it has something to do with the temporary files in a certain directory when you do a tar command?

I don't like the look of the "p" . It is not an output parameter in tar and I think that it is taking the "p" as the filename because it immediately is after the "f" parameter. Check that you don't have a huge file called "p".


Also you are using "/dev/rmt/0n" which is a no-rewind device. Be sure whether you want to append to the tape or not.