On Tuesday 20 March 2007, dustin AT zmanda DOT com wrote:
>On Tue, Mar 20, 2007 at 10:21:07AM -0500, Linda Pahdoco wrote:
>> The only issue we've hit recently is not being able to get
>> incrementals on machines with updated tar packages.  We get Level 0
>> every night.  We stay pretty on top of patches from Gentoo, and we've
>> seen it on multiple systems.  We're also seeing it on Windows 2003
>> boxes running amanda under Cygwin.  I don't think that has anything to
>> do with the server, only with the client machine(s).
>
>That sounds suspiciously like what Gene is running into:
>  http://marc.info/?l=amanda-users&m=117399694429491&w=2
>
>Pretty much my only substantive gripe with Gentoo is that it encourages
>its users to "live on the edge", which isn't really appropriate for
>production systems.  I assume you've downgraded your tar packages to
>keep your backups functional?  What version of tar broke for you?  What
>kernel version are you running?
>
>I'll make a note to look into this when I can get the relevant equipment
>lined up.
>
>Dustin
>
>P.S. Gene -- I haven't been ignoring your messages, but you were using
>bleeding-edge kernels, and seemed to believe that the kernels, and not
>tar, were to blame for your lack of incrementals.

Gene here: I'm now inclined to have this opinion re-enforced, to wit:

The latest kernel I can run, and get good results with either tar I have 
at my disposal, which is the latest FC6 supplied rpm of 1.15-1, (and 
which may in fact be a 1.16-1, rpm is famous for that) and a hand built 
copy of 1.15-1 that doesn't have the latest DOS patches in it as it was 
built here in late 2005, both report this phenomenon for the latest 
2.6.20.4-rc1 kernel, and for _any_ kernel in the 2.6.21-rc* series.

Having it upchuck all over itself with the 2.6.20.4-rc1 patch narrows the 
bisection to find the bad patch down from the 300 plus patch sets between 
2.6.20 final and 2.6.21-rc1 to just 31 patches, which I'll probably start 
on sometime Wed. or Thurs.

Yes, its a show-stopper, no doubt about it.

I did file a bz against the tar rpm at fedora, but no response has been 
forthcoming there in the several days since I filed it.

I have NDI what patchsets gentoo may have applied, or to what kernel, but 
it might be interesting for you to go back to the gentoo list with this 
info in hand and see if anyone there might have a clue.  At this point, 
we'll take all we can get.

FWIW, Ingo Molnar is now aware of it.  We are in the middle of a 
discussion re tactics.

-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Blessed are they that have nothing to say, and who cannot be persuaded
to say it.
                -- James Russell Lowell