tar on windows fails to extract symlink out of archive

Question

While trying to install GTK with vcpkg it fails to extract libexpat-libexpat-R_2_2_6.tar.gz:

Building package expat[core]:x64-windows...
-- Downloading https://github.com/libexpat/libexpat/archive/R_2_2_6.tar.gz...
-- Extracting source C:/Users/USER/git/vcpkg/downloads/libexpat-libexpat-R_2_2_6.tar.gz
CMake Error at scripts/cmake/vcpkg_execute_required_process.cmake:56 (message):
    Command failed: C:/Program Files/CMake/bin/cmake.exe;-E;tar;xjf;C:/Users/USER/git/vcpkg/downloads/libexpat-libexpat-R_2_2_6.tar.gz
    Working Directory: C:/Users/USER/git/vcpkg/buildtrees/expat/src/TEMP
    Error code: 1
    See logs for more information:
      C:\Users\USER\git\vcpkg\buildtrees\expat\extract-err.log

extract-err.log:

CMake Error: Problem with archive_write_header(): Can't create ''
CMake Error: Current file: libexpat-R_2_2_6/README.md
CMake Error: Problem extracting tar: C:/Users/USER/git/vcpkg/downloads/libexpat-libexpat-R_2_2_6.tar.gz

And running tar manually results in:

> tar xjf C:/Users/USER/git/vcpkg/downloads/libexpat-libexpat-R_2_2_6.tar.gz
libexpat-R_2_2_6/README.md: Can't create '\\\\?\\C:\\Users\\USER\\git\\vcpkg\\buildtrees\\expat\\src\\TEMP\\libexpat-R_2_2_6\\README.md'
tar: Error exit delayed from previous errors.

Versions:

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17763.437]
cmake version 3.14.2
bsdtar 3.3.2 - libarchive 3.3.2 zlib/1.2.5.f-ipp
vcpkg 2018.11.23-nohash (commit 0907798)

Edit:

The tar error is expected, the issue manifests in cmake where the expected output (see extract-err.log) should be:

cmake -E tar: warning: skipping symbolic link "libexpat-R_2_2_6/README.md" -> "expat/README.md".

Edit:

Looks like this is an active cmake issue https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/issues/19102

Have you tried running as Administrator? – DavidPostill Apr 14 '19 at 18:37 — DavidPostill, Apr 14 '19 at 18:37
@DavidPostill yes, same error – Ian678 Apr 14 '19 at 20:46 — Ian678, Apr 14 '19 at 20:46

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Apr 15 '19 at 07:36

Alexej Harm found the setting that causes this issue https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/issues/19102#note_558431.

The UTF-8 beta in intl.cpl > Administrative > Change system locale... needs to be unticked for cmake (3.14.2) to function properly.

tar on windows fails to extract symlink out of archive

1 Answers1