cant get tar from core utils to work

[kmpm]

Description

I am trying to tar files on a windows 11 machine but keep getting errors.
Even with the most minimal tar I keep get errors about Rel: can't make <whatever file> relative to

Create the provided taskfile in an empty directory and call it Taskfile.yml

When I do this in a directory called D:\taskfile-uroot and run task I get...

task: [default] tar -cf test.tar Taskfile.yml
task: Failed to run task "default": Rel: can't make D:\taskfile-uroot\Taskfile.yml relative to

What I expect to get is a file called test.tar containing the taskfile.

Version

3.45.5

Operating system

Windows 11 Pro 24H2

Experiments Enabled

No response

Example Taskfile

# https://taskfile.dev
version: '3'
tasks:
  default:
    cmds:
      - tar -cf test.tar Taskfile.yml

[trulede]

I was able to list the content of a tar file, but could not create one (same issue).

[trulede]

This is, I think, a problem with some internal path handling. For example, this:

- tar -cf test.tar {{.USER_WORKING_DIR}}/Taskfile.yml
results in this error

task: Failed to run task "default": GetFileAttributesEx \\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu\home\trule\git\task\ISSUES\2259\wsl.localhostUbuntuhometrulegittask\Taskfile.yml: The system cannot find the path specified.

And there are several things wrong there ... but at least this part "wsl.localhostUbuntuhometrulegittask" is quite wrong.

[trulede]

OK, the problem is here:

u-root/u-root/pkg/core/tar/tar.go

// Resolve all input paths relative to working directory
resolvedArgs := make([]string, len(args))
for i, arg := range args {
	resolvedArgs[i] = t.ResolvePath(arg)
}

this code actually resolves paths to absolute paths, not relative, and tar does not like that. Not sure the exact solution, because ResolvePath is also used to resolve absolute paths.

[trulede]

@andreynering the problem here is that tar wants paths which are relative to the working dir (or tar file actually), but the code above makes the paths absolute. Removing the call to ResolvePath() fixes the problem.

WDYT? I see you worked on that code somewhat recently.

[andreynering]

@trulede Thank you for taking a look. I can eventually take a look, but probably not soon.

[ggrothendieck]

One thing to be aware of is that tar.exe is also included and on your PATH with Windows itself. Try where tar:

C:\Windows\System32\tar.exe

[kmpm]

@ggrothendieck, yeah I could also use make and makefile but task was supposed to be simpler 😅

[trulede]

@kmpm These days CoPilot can write a Makefile or a Script, and they are pretty good.

There is a PR now in u-root/u-root#3606 which fixes the problem

Build command.
GOOS=windows GOARCH=amd64 go build -o task.exe ./cmd/task