NAME

       nbdkit-tar-plugin - read and write files inside tar files without unpacking

SYNOPSIS

        nbdkit tar tar=FILENAME.tar file=PATH_INSIDE_TAR

EXAMPLE

   Serve a single file inside a tarball
        nbdkit tar tar=file.tar file=some/disk.img
        guestfish --format=raw -a nbd://localhost

   Opening a disk image inside an OVA file
       The popular "Open Virtual Appliance" (OVA) format is really an uncompressed tar file
       containing (usually) VMDK-format files, so you could access one file in an OVA like this:

        $ tar tf rhel.ova
        rhel.ovf
        rhel-disk1.vmdk
        rhel.mf
        $ nbdkit -r tar tar=rhel.ova file=rhel-disk1.vmdk
        $ guestfish --ro --format=vmdk -a nbd://localhost

DESCRIPTION

       "nbdkit-tar-plugin" is a plugin which can read and writes files inside an uncompressed tar
       file without unpacking the tar file.

       The "tar" and "file" parameters are required, specifying the name of the uncompressed tar
       file and the exact path of the file within the tar file to access as a disk image.

       This plugin will not work on compressed tar files.

       Use the nbdkit -r flag to open the file readonly.  This is the safest option because it
       guarantees that the tar file will not be modified.  Without -r writes will modify the tar
       file.

       Also writing to the tar file does not change data checksums stored in other files (the
       "rhel.mf" file in the example above), and as these will become incorrect you probably
       won't be able to open the file with another tool afterwards.

       The disk image cannot be resized.

VERSION

       "nbdkit-tar-plugin" first appeared in nbdkit 1.2.

SEE ALSO

       https://github.com/libguestfs/nbdkit/blob/master/plugins/tar/tar.pl, nbdkit(1),
       nbdkit-plugin(3), nbdkit-perl-plugin(3).

AUTHORS

       Richard W.M. Jones.

       Based on the virt-v2v OVA importer written by Tomáš Golembiovský.

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 2017 Red Hat Inc.

LICENSE

       Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are
       permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

       •   Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of
           conditions and the following disclaimer.

       •   Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of
           conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials
           provided with the distribution.

       •   Neither the name of Red Hat nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse
           or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written
           permission.

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