Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] tar exclude syntax tip

[Grant Taylor <gtaylor@gentoo.tnetconsulting.net>]

On 5/5/21 7:33 AM, Walter Dnes wrote:
> 3) All directories and/or files to exclude must be listed as relative 
> paths to the directory being tarred, i.e. last parameter on the 
> command line.

This might not be very clearly articulated in the manual et al., but 
once you are aware of it, you see evidence of it in multiple places.

I'm used to tar stripping the leading character if it's a forward slash 
from paths.  Thus tar actually works with relative paths based on the 
(effective) working directory (which can be changed via the '-C' / 
'--directory=' option).

So, after many years and even more battle scars, /I/ would /expect/ that 
the path must be relative to the directory that tar is working on. 
Perhaps I've simply survived more duels with tar.  This is nothing 
against you or anyone.  After all, xkcd has this to say about tar:  I'M 
SO SORRY.

Link - TAR
  - https://xkcd.com/1168/



-- 
Grant. . . .
unix || die