tar syntax in Ubuntu 9.04

Discussion in 'Software' started by lbmest, Mar 1, 2010.

  1. lbmest

    lbmest MajorGeek

    I am trying to install VMware Tools from with-in Ubuntu 9.04 and can not seem to get the correct syntax for the command.
    I have been using the Help from VMware and obviously am not using the correct command.
    The command line from the Help file is as follows -
    tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-<xxxx>.tar.gz (The xxx is the build number of the product release)

    See below for some of my attempts.
    Any guidance would be muchly appreciated.

    Code:
    lbmest@ubuntu:~$ cd /tmp
lbmest@ubuntu:/tmp$ tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-8.1.2-197124.tar.gz
tar: /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-8.1.2-197124.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
lbmest@ubuntu:/tmp$ tar zxpf /media/cdtom1/VMwareTools-8.1.2-197124.tar.gz
tar: /media/cdtom1/VMwareTools-8.1.2-197124.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
lbmest@ubuntu:/tmp$ tar zxpf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-197124.tar.gz
tar: /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-197124.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
lbmest@ubuntu:/tmp$ tar zxpf /media/cdrom1/VMwareTools-197124.tar.gz
tar: /media/cdrom1/VMwareTools-197124.tar.gz: Cannot open: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
tar: Child returned status 2
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors
lbmest@ubuntu:/tmp$ cd vmware-tools-distrib
bash: cd: vmware-tools-distrib: No such file or directory
lbmest@ubuntu:/tmp$
     
    lbmest, Mar 1, 2010
    #1
  2. plodr

    plodr MajorGeek Super Extraordinaire Moderator Staff Member

    I haven't done tar and untar too often but my notes say
    tar -xvf filename.tar
    tar -xvzf filename.tar.gz
    tar -yxf filename.tar.bz2
    tar -xvfz filename.tgz

    Additional notes on above: x means extract, v means verbose, z means uncompress and f means file.
    I've never seen a p but then I've never tried installing VMWare.

    At the very least, I suspect you do need a dash before your command.

    I'll look around and see if I can find out what "p" indicates.

    This
    error indicates that either the source path or the target path is incomplete. I've seen that quite a bit when I do not type the paths correctly.
     
    plodr, Mar 1, 2010
    #2
  3. lbmest

    lbmest MajorGeek

    Eureka plodr :celebrate
    Command ended up being -
    tar -xvzf /media/cdrom1/VMwareTools-8.1.2-197124.tar.gz
    Have no idea what the p was supposed to do but the file finally opened and I can get to it. media/cdrom1 was the location of the mounted file on the desktop.
    Appreciate the help. Thanks
     
    lbmest, Mar 1, 2010
    #3
  4. usafveteran

    usafveteran MajorGeek

    I had the same issue with Ubuntu 9.10 in VMware Player and was able to resolve it today after reading this thread. Glad I saw this. :cool
     
    usafveteran, Apr 20, 2010
    #4
  5. BoredOutOfMyMind

    BoredOutOfMyMind Picabo, ICU

    Here is terminal printout of Tar --usage

     
    BoredOutOfMyMind, Apr 22, 2010
    #5

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