tar bug.. Replces the link or do not overwrites the file

[Ramakrishna_Manchale]

Hello,

We have the Linux version
uname -a
Linux manu 2.2.14-12smp #1 SMP Tue Apr 25 12:58:06 EDT 2000 i686 unknown.

We are facing the problem in using the tar command.

We need the tar functionality as in unix systems. In linux it is different.

Problem:

We have file structure with parent directory, child directory and many
files in the child directory.
Now i get a tar file having the same parent directory, child directory, and
updated version of existing files + new files.

The first parent directory is a symbolic link.

Example:

cd $MASTER
$ ls -l
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           40 May 15 19:02 ABRC ->
/data01/test/IMAGE_TEST/PAS2003.1.1/ABRC
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           40 May 12 17:36 ARMC ->
/data01/test/IMAGE_TEST/PAS2003.1.1/ARMC
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           40 May 12 17:36 HOLT ->
/data01/test/IMAGE_TEST/PAS2003.1.1/HOLT
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           40 May 12 17:36 JAEI ->
/data01/test/IMAGE_TEST/PAS2003.1.1/JAEI
cd ABRC
ls -l

lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           52 May 12 17:36 ABRCS00486 ->
/data01/te
st/IMAGE_TEST/PAS2003.3.1V/ABRC/ABRCS00486
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           52 May 15 19:06 ABRCS00487 ->
/data01/te
st/IMAGE_TEST/PAS2003.3.1V/ABRC/ABRCS00487
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           52 May 12 17:36 ABRCS00488 ->
/data01/te
st/IMAGE_TEST/PAS2003.3.1V/ABRC/ABRCS00488

cd ABRCS00487
ls -l
-rw-r--r--    1 test     tech        37553 May 12 17:39 ABRCS00487-1.pdf

Now,

I have a tar file which untars as follows.

cd $MASTER

tar -tvf ABRC.tar

drwxrwxr-x test/tech         0 2003-05-12 17:39:32 ABRC/
drwxr-xr-x test/tech         0 2003-05-12 17:39:32 ABRC/ABRCS00487/
-rw-r--r-- test/tech     47553 2003-05-12 17:39:32
ABRC/ABRCS00487/ABRCS00487-1.
pdf

When i use tar -xvf of the file at parent directory, on unix system, it
replaces the existing files, and copies the new files byte count [ 37553 ].
But in linux

cd $MASTER
tar -xvf ABRC.tar

drwxr-xr-x    3 test     tech         4096 May 12 17:39 ABRC
-rw-rw-r--    1 test     tech        40960 May 15 11:14 ABRC.tar
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           40 May 12 17:36 ARMC ->
/data01/test/IMA
GE_TEST/PAS2003.1.1/ARMC
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           40 May 12 17:36 HOLT ->
/data01/test/IMA
GE_TEST/PAS2003.1.1/HOLT
lrwxrwxrwx    1 test     tech           40 May 12 17:36 JAEI ->
/data01/test/IMA
GE_TEST/PAS2003.1.1/JAEI

cd ABRC
ls -l
drwxr-xr-x    2 test     tech         4096 May 12 17:39 ABRCS00487

The link is replaced by the contents in the tar file.

On using the -k --keep-old-files
option, it will not break the link but, do not over write the old file.

Please suggest any solution.

Rgds,
Ramakrishna