isaacs/npm — Issue #1853: Another tar issue on npm install, hard to reproduce
Author: vvo
Created: 2011-12-08 10:14:25+00:00
State: open

```bash
ERR! Failed unpacking /somedir/nodejs/.npm/sax/0.3.2/package.tgz
ERR! Could not unpack /somedir/nodejs/.npm/sax/0.3.2/package.tgz to /somedir/nodejs/.npm/sax/0.3.2
ERR! Error: `tar "-zmvxpf" "/somedir/nodejs/.npm/sax/0.3.2/package.tgz"`
ERR! failed with 2
ERR! at ChildProcess. (/somedir/nodejs/.nvm/v0.4.12/lib/node_modules/npm/lib/utils/tar.js:217:20)
ERR! at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:67:17)
ERR! at Socket. (child_process.js:172:12)
ERR! at Socket.emit (events.js:64:17)
ERR! at Array.1 (net.js:831:12)
ERR! at EventEmitter._tickCallback (node.js:126:26)
ERR! Report this *entire* log at:
ERR!
ERR! or email it to:
ERR!
ERR!
ERR! System Linux 2.6.35.4-rscloud
ERR! command "node" "/somedir/nodejs/.nvm/v0.4.12/bin/npm" "install"
ERR! node -v v0.4.12
ERR! npm -v 1.0.106
```

Using Debian 6.0.2, tar (GNU tar) 1.23-3

Sometimes, things are ok, sometimes it fails, so very hard to reproduce (can't). Any hints ?

What should we do ? Upgrade tar ?

Thank you