From owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org  Sun Jun 18 21:45:08 2017
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org
 [IPv6:2001:1900:2254:206a::19:1])
 by mailman.ysv.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E0DD7D8EFAA
 for <freebsd-questions@mailman.ysv.freebsd.org>;
 Sun, 18 Jun 2017 21:45:08 +0000 (UTC)
 (envelope-from news@mips.inka.de)
Received: from mail.inka.de (quechua.inka.de
 [IPv6:2a04:c9c7:0:1073:217:a4ff:fe3b:e77c])
 (using TLSv1 with cipher AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
 (Client did not present a certificate)
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id A637B7D96A
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Sun, 18 Jun 2017 21:45:08 +0000 (UTC)
 (envelope-from news@mips.inka.de)
Received: from mips.inka.de (news@[127.0.0.1])
 by mail.inka.de with uucp (rmailwrap 0.5) 
 id 1dMi0H-0003yk-GY; Sun, 18 Jun 2017 23:45:05 +0200
Received: from lorvorc.mips.inka.de (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by lorvorc.mips.inka.de (8.15.2/8.15.2) with ESMTP id v5ILetIY001422
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Sun, 18 Jun 2017 23:40:55 +0200 (CEST)
 (envelope-from news@lorvorc.mips.inka.de)
Received: (from news@localhost)
 by lorvorc.mips.inka.de (8.15.2/8.15.2/Submit) id v5ILetFP001421
 for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Sun, 18 Jun 2017 23:40:55 +0200 (CEST)
 (envelope-from news)
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
From: Christian Weisgerber <naddy@mips.inka.de>
Newsgroups: list.freebsd.questions
Subject: Re: tar: Failed to open '/dev/sa0'
Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2017 21:40:55 -0000 (UTC)
Message-ID: <slrnokdsr7.128.naddy@lorvorc.mips.inka.de>
References: <9369978e-7041-3ef9-2cb4-66555054425b@holgerdanske.com>
User-Agent: slrn/1.0.3 (FreeBSD)
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.23
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2017 21:45:09 -0000

On 2017-06-18, David Christensen <dpchrist@holgerdanske.com> wrote:

> Subject: tar: Failed to open '/dev/sa0'

You need to specify an archive file with the f flag, e.g.

$ tar cf dpchrist-thunderbird-20170618.tar .thunderbird 

Traditionally, if no archive file is specified, tar(1) accesses a
tape device by default.  FreeBSD's tar maintains this behavior and
the FreeBSD port of gtar matches this for consistency.

Use "-" as archive name if you want to read from stdin / write to
stdout.

-- 
Christian "naddy" Weisgerber                          naddy@mips.inka.de