Wed Aug 31 15:04:40 EDT 2005 rsc
    If you run tar to try to extract a file inside
    a directory that cannot be created you used to get:
    
    	% tar xf x.tar
    	tar: can't create x/y: 'x/y' does not exist
    	tar: can't create x/y/a: 'x/y/a' does not exist
    	% 
    
    I fixed the first error, which was tar's fault,
    so now you get:
    
    	% tar xf x.tar
    	tar: can't create x/y: permission denied
    	tar: can't create x/y/a: 'x/y/a' does not exist
    	% 
    
    The second error is the kernel's fault:
    
    	% syscall create x/y/a 0 0
    	syscall: return -1, error:'x/y/a' does not exist
    	% 
    
    Your fix did not make sense to me.  It was second-guessing
    various operations instead of letting the real errors shine
    through.
    
    I will look at fixing the kernel message.
    

Wed Aug 31 15:50:30 EDT 2005 rsc
    I fixed the kernel too.  There is a new /sys/src/9/port/chan.c on sources.