Working draft

F03 end-lone-zero-block

An end-of-archive marker of one zero block, not two.

Reject(draft) A strict parser must reject this archive.

Category
framing
Default policy
rejects it
Files
F03-end-lone-zero-block.tar test archive, 1,536 bytes sha256 52e2ac74f6686cc8b30703024fa4504c0d0fe6fa6b053a2b0b38f984a580fa80
F03-end-lone-zero-block.jsonexpected result
F03-end-lone-zero-block.txtannotated blocks
F03-end-lone-zero-block.pygenerator script

The case

POSIX requires two zero blocks at the end of an archive; most implementations stop at the first, so they extract it all the same.

Decision point: whether one zero block is an end-of-archive marker.

Seen in: eng-rus, srecord 1.64 and cdi2iso 0.1.

The archive

Every block of 512 bytes, to scale, with its offset. Hover over a field for its bytes.

F03-end-lone-zero-block: every block of the archive0x000000header: regular filename [0,100): "a" + 99 NULnamemode [100,108): "0000644" + NUL, 644 (octal)uid [108,116): "0000000" + NUL, 0gid [116,124): "0000000" + NUL, 0size [124,136): "00000000002" + NUL, 2mtime [136,148): "00000000000" + NUL, 0chksum [148,156): "007340\0 ", 3808: the unsigned sum of the header, this field as spacestypeflag [156,157): "0", regular filelinkname [157,257): 100 NULlinknamemagic [257,263): "ustar" + NULversion [263,265): "00"uname [265,297): 32 NULunamegname [297,329): 32 NULgnamedevmajor [329,337): "0000000" + NUL, 0devminor [337,345): "0000000" + NUL, 0prefix [345,500): 155 NULprefixpad [500,512): 12 NULname "a" + 99 NUL0x000200data2 bytes, then 510 NUL to the end of the block; "a\n""a\n"0x0004001 zero block: one zero block, and the file ends512 NUL0x000600end of fileNULprintable ASCIIspacecontrol character, such as a newlinebyte over 0x7fwritten by the case itself
Every block, as text
F03-end-lone-zero-block: must reject

An end-of-archive marker of one zero block, not two.

POSIX requires two zero blocks at the end of an archive; most implementations stop at the first, so
they extract it all the same.

Decision point: whether one zero block is an end-of-archive marker.
Seen in: eng-rus, srecord 1.64 and cdi2iso 0.1.
See also: F09, one zero block followed by another member, which is rejected as well.

0x000000  header: regular file
          name     [  0,100)  "a" + 99 NUL
          mode     [100,108)  "0000644" + NUL  644 (octal)
          uid      [108,116)  "0000000" + NUL  0
          gid      [116,124)  "0000000" + NUL  0
          size     [124,136)  "00000000002" + NUL  2
          mtime    [136,148)  "00000000000" + NUL  0
          chksum   [148,156)  "007340\0 "  3808: the unsigned sum of the header, this field as spaces
          typeflag [156,157)  "0"  regular file
          linkname [157,257)  100 NUL
          magic    [257,263)  "ustar" + NUL
          version  [263,265)  "00"
          uname    [265,297)  32 NUL
          gname    [297,329)  32 NUL
          devmajor [329,337)  "0000000" + NUL  0
          devminor [337,345)  "0000000" + NUL  0
          prefix   [345,500)  155 NUL
          pad      [500,512)  12 NUL
0x000200  data
          2 bytes, then 510 NUL to the end of the block
          "a\n"
0x000400  1 zero block: one zero block, and the file ends
0x000600  end of file
Every byte, as a hex dump

As xxd writes it: xxd -r makes the archive of it.

00000000: 6100 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  a...............
00000010: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000020: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000030: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000040: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000050: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000060: 0000 0000 3030 3030 3634 3400 3030 3030  ....0000644.0000
00000070: 3030 3000 3030 3030 3030 3000 3030 3030  000.0000000.0000
00000080: 3030 3030 3030 3200 3030 3030 3030 3030  0000002.00000000
00000090: 3030 3000 3030 3733 3430 0020 3000 0000  000.007340. 0...
000000a0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000000b0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000000c0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000000d0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000000e0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000000f0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000100: 0075 7374 6172 0030 3000 0000 0000 0000  .ustar.00.......
00000110: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000120: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000130: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000140: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0030 3030 3030 3030  .........0000000
00000150: 0030 3030 3030 3030 0000 0000 0000 0000  .0000000........
00000160: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000170: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000180: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000190: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000001a0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000001b0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000001c0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000001d0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000001e0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000001f0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000200: 610a 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  a...............
00000210: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000220: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000230: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000240: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000250: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000260: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000270: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000280: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000290: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000002a0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000002b0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000002c0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000002d0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000002e0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000002f0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000300: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000310: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000320: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000330: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000340: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000350: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000360: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000370: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000380: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000390: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000003a0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000003b0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000003c0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000003d0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000003e0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000003f0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000400: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000410: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000420: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000430: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000440: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000450: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000460: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000470: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000480: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000490: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000004a0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000004b0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000004c0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000004d0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000004e0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000004f0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000500: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000510: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000520: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000530: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000540: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000550: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000560: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000570: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000580: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
00000590: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000005a0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000005b0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000005c0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000005d0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000005e0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................
000005f0: 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000 0000  ................

What implementations make of it

implementationversionoutcomewhat it makes of it
GNU tartar (GNU tar) 1.35⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
bsdtarbsdtar 3.8.10 - libarchive 3.8.10⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
BusyBox tarBusyBox v1.38.0, defconfig⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
7-Zip7-Zip (z) 26.05 (x64)⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Python tarfile, filter=data, as in pipCPython 3.15.2⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Python tarfile, filter=tarCPython 3.15.2⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Python tarfile, filter=fully_trustedCPython 3.15.2⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
node-tartar 7.5.22⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
node-tar, stricttar 7.5.22⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
tar-fstar-fs 3.1.3, on tar-stream 3.2.2⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Java Commons CompressCommons Compress 1.28.0, Expander, on Java 27.0.1.0.2⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
.NET System.Formats.TarSystem.Formats.Tar of .NET 10.0.14, ExtractToDirectory⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
PHP PharData, as in ComposerPharData of PHP 8.5.12, as Composer's TarDownloader calls it⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Go containerd archive.Applycontainerd v2.4.2, archive.Apply, of go1.27.3⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Rust tartar 0.4.46, unpack⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Rust astral-tokio-tarastral-tokio-tar 0.7.0, unpack⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Rust tar-codec, as in uvtar-codec 0.0.15, with the policies of uv 0.13✅ as the verdict sayserror: at byte 1536: missing two-block end-of-archive marker
RubyGemsRubyGems 4.0.20 of Ruby 4.0.9, extract_tar_gz⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
R untar, internalutils::untar of R 4.6.1, tar = "internal"⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Perl Archive::TarArchive::Tar 3.12 of Perl v5.44.0⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
Haskell tartar 0.7.2.0, extract, of GHC 9.14✅ as the verdict sayserror: ShortTrailer
Julia Tar.jlTar 1.10.0 of Julia 1.13.3⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
live-bootstrap untarmescc-tools-extra a151c245e512, as live-bootstrap pins it, built with cc⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)
live-bootstrap untar, --non-strictmescc-tools-extra a151c245e512, as live-bootstrap pins it, built with cc⚠️ acceptstree A: a (2 B, 87428fc5)

Prevalence in release tarballs

Release tarballs of Spack, nixpkgs, Guix and live-bootstrap, and samples of PyPI, crates.io and RubyGems with end.lone-zero-block. The default policy rejects all of them.

ecosystemtarballswith itshare
Spack37,5530none
nixpkgs18,99050.03%
Guix10,1680none
PyPI10,0000none
crates.io5,0000none
RubyGems5,0000none
live-bootstrap1710none
total (distinct)82,5865<0.01%

See the list of these 5 tarballs, with the sha256 of each and an example from it.

See also