[Users] [Feedback required][host-deploy] Fedora-19 misses tar at minimal setup

[Alon Bar-Lev]

----- Original Message -----
> From: "Juan Hernandez" <jhernand at redhat.com>
> To: "Alon Bar-Lev" <alonbl at redhat.com>
> Cc: "engine-devel" <engine-devel at ovirt.org>, "arch" <arch at ovirt.org>, "users" <users at ovirt.org>
> Sent: Sunday, July 28, 2013 12:26:56 PM
> Subject: Re: [Users] [Feedback required][host-deploy] Fedora-19 misses tar at minimal setup
> 
> On 07/28/2013 09:46 AM, Alon Bar-Lev wrote:
> > Hello All,
> >
> > I would like to receive feedback regarding how we should cope with a state
> > presented to use by Fedora.
> >
> > Fedora-19 minimal setup does not install tar utility which is required to
> > deploy files during the host-deploy process (Hosts->Add Host).
> >
> > I guess because of 2.8M in size (including translations) -- a standard
> > commonly used utility was removed.
> >
> > There are two alternatives :
> >
> > 1. Instruct users who are using minimal installations to manually install
> > tar utility just like they configure repository, dns, etc..
> >
> > Benefit: simplicity.
> > Benefit: use standard tools.
> > Benefit: lower payload to transmit.
> > Drawback: require tar at destination machine.
> >
> > 2. Do not use tar but self extracting python script, a patch is ready[1].
> >
> > Benefit: ability to deploy environment in which tar is missing.
> > Drawback: non standard tool at destination machine.
> > Drawback: complexity within our code.
> >
> > [[[
> > There was 3rd alternative, using python tar module to deploy tar.
> > However, there is a bug in that module when processing last block if empty.
> > This is edge condition but happened to at least one of the users and I
> > could
> > reproduce it.
> > ]]]
> >
> > Regards,
> > Alon Bar-Lev
> 
> Consider using cpio instead of tar. It is required to build initrd, so
> available in any installation. It is also supported by the library
> currently used in the engine to build the tar archive.

Thanks Juan, it is good idea.

I did not thought of using cpio, as I remembered that cpio has no embedded eof (a.cpio+b.cpio=cpio), but now I experiments and see that I was mistaken.

Will try to establish a working solution.

Thanks,
Alon