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(tar.info)Ignore Zeros

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Ignoring Blocks of Zeros
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   Normally, `tar' stops reading when it encounters a block of zeros
between file entries (which usually indicates the end of the archive).
`--ignore-zeros' (`-i') allows `tar' to completely read an archive
which contains a block of zeros before the end (i.e. a damaged archive,
or one which was created by concatenating several archives together).

   The `--ignore-zeros' (`-i') option is turned off by default because
many versions of `tar' write garbage after the end-of-archive entry,
since that part of the media is never supposed to be read.  GNU `tar'
does not write after the end of an archive, but seeks to maintain
compatiblity among archiving utilities.

`--ignore-zeros'
`-i'
     To ignore blocks of zeros (ie. end-of-archive entries) which may be
     encountered while reading an archive.  Use in conjunction with
     `--extract' (`--get', `-x') or `--list' (`-t').