Randall Eggert Sand Springs, Oklahoma address@hidden 2/7/2016 gtar abends apparently stuck in a loop while backing up the primary device on my Mac. I’m backing to an external drive attached via FireWire-800. The included text below shows it start looping on /dev…. Massive amount of this text appears while finishing/aborting the backup, which is identically repeated when listing the backup. Duplicate backups done several days previously did not do this. I had several external disks mounted before I started the backup that I dismounted to turn off the drives before starting. scripts/dismount.sh #!/bin/sh for i in `df -lh | cut -f1 -d' '| grep /dev | sort -r ` do diskutil unmount $i done Perhaps not the best way to dismount volumes, those active receive an error that they are in use, but everything else gets shut down. (keeps the noise down) ran Verify on both source and target drives (Journaled HFS Plus volumes) with Disk Utility and both were clean Mac mini - Early 2009 OS X 10.9.5 (13F1603) 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Mac250SSD 07:13:29 7 Desktop $gtar --version tar (GNU tar) 1.28 Copyright (C) 2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later . This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. Written by John Gilmore and Jay Fenlason. 07:13:37 8 Desktop $ 07:05:50 4 Desktop $sudo time gtar -cvf /Volumes/FW250G/Mac250SSD_B.gtar --one-file-system * . bin/rmdir bin/sh bin/sleep bin/stty bin/sync bin/tcsh bin/test bin/unlink bin/wait4path bin/zsh dev/ dev/console dev/tty dev/null dev/zero dev/klog dev/fd/ dev/fd/0 dev/fd/1 dev/fd/2 dev/fd/4/ dev/fd/4/console dev/fd/4/tty dev/fd/4/null dev/fd/4/zero dev/fd/4/klog dev/fd/4/fd/ dev/fd/4/fd/0 dev/fd/4/fd/1 dev/fd/4/fd/2 dev/fd/4/fd/4/ dev/fd/4/fd/4/console dev/fd/4/fd/4/tty dev/fd/4/fd/4/null dev/fd/4/fd/4/zero dev/fd/4/fd/4/klog dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/ dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/0 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/1 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/2 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/ dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/console dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/tty dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/null dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/zero dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/klog dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/ dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/0 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/1 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/2 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/ dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/console dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/tty dev/fd/4/fd/4 /fd/4/fd/4/null dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/zero dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/klog dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/ dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/0 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/1 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/2 dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/console dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/tty dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/null . . . 5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/3: Cannot open: Permission denied gtar: dev/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/4/fd/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5 . . . . . . . . [abend] I noticed the regular tar was substantially larger upon completion; -rw-r--r-- 1 randalleggert staff 72G Feb 8 20:43 Mac250SSD.gtar -rw-r--r-- 1 randalleggert staff 81G Feb 8 18:32 Mac250SSD.tar So I dumped the tar starting about the point of where the gtar failed and found; dev/zero dev/klog dev/fd/ dev/stdin dev/stdout dev/stderr dev/auditsessions dev/auditpipe dev/pf dev/pfm dev/ttyp0 dev/ptyp0 dev/ttyp1 dev/ptyp1 dev/ttyp2 dev/ptyp2 dev/ttyp3 dev/ptyp3 dev/ttyp4 dev/ptyp4 dev/ttyp5 dev/ptyp5 dev/ttyp6 dev/ptyp6 dev/ttyp7 dev/ptyp7 dev/ttyp8 dev/ptyp8 dev/ttyp9 dev/ptyp9 dev/ttypa dev/ptypa dev/ttypb dev/ptypb dev/ttypc dev/ptypc dev/ttypd dev/ptypd dev/ttype dev/ptype dev/ttypf dev/ptypf dev/ttyq0 dev/ptyq0 dev/ttyq1 dev/ptyq1 dev/ttyq2 dev/ptyq2 dev/ttyq3 dev/ptyq3 dev/ttyq4 dev/ptyq4 dev/ttyq5 dev/ptyq5 dev/ttyq6 dev/ptyq6 dev/ttyq7 dev/ptyq7 dev/ttyq8 . . . . with 1,000s of additional files backed up. 07:05:20 3 Desktop $df Filesystem 512-blocks Used Available Capacity iused ifree %iused Mounted on /dev/disk0s2 487725344 164549136 322664208 34% 20632640 40333026 34% / devfs 373 373 0 100% 646 0 100% /dev map -hosts 0 0 0 100% 0 0 100% /net map auto_home 0 0 0 100% 0 0 100% /home /dev/disk5s1 488397160 248280088 240117072 51% 31035009 30014634 51% /Volumes/FW250G 07:05:50 4 Desktop $ When performing a tar using the same attributes, receive the following errors; 05:49:32 2 / $sudo time tar -cf /Volumes/FW250G/Mac250SSD.tar --one-file-system * Password: tar: 3: could not open file: Permission denied tar: dev/fd/5: Couldn't visit directory: Bad file descriptor tar: dev/fd/4: Couldn't visit directory: Not a directory tar: private/var/tmp/filesystemui.socket: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/tmp/launchd/sock: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/com.fitbit.galileod.socket: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/cupsd: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/mDNSResponder: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/portmap.socket: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/pppconfd: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/syslog: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/systemkeychaincheck.socket: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/usbmuxd: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/run/vpncontrol.sock: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncalrpc/lsarpc: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncalrpc/NETLOGON: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncalrpc/srvsvc: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncalrpc/wkssvc: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncacn_np/lsarpc: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncacn_np/mdssvc: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncacn_np/srvsvc: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/rpc/ncacn_np/wkssvc: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/var/folders/md/z7stxl0j3hxb4lj2bbkfj_c00000gn/T/icssuis501: tar format cannot archive socket tar: /tmp/tar.md.MCYAzi: could not open file: No such file or directory tar: private/var/folders/md/z7stxl0j3hxb4lj2bbkfj_c00000gn/T/chrome-Dr0rMa/Socket: tar format cannot archive socket tar: /tmp/tar.md.3QLVBm: could not open file: No such file or directory tar: private/var/folders/md/z7stxl0j3hxb4lj2bbkfj_c00000gn/T/.com.google.Chrome.UZZ5NB/SingletonSocket: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/tmp/launchd-357.8oBQQX/sock: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/tmp/launchd-343.ST6MJL/sock: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/tmp/launchd-209.Mzwizb/sock: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/tmp/launchd-1560.JefAOp/sock: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/tmp/launch-VJaihA/Render: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/tmp/launch-qFVGZz/org.macosforge.xquartz:0: tar format cannot archive socket tar: private/tmp/launch-fE0Fte/Listeners: tar format cannot archive socket tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors. 2418.66 real 53.69 user 824.92 sys 06:32:17 3 / $