Streaming tar processor for embedded systems

zerotar is a minimal, streaming TAR parser for embedded systems with extremely low RAM. It is designed to parse a TAR archive incrementally without allocating large buffers.

• Single API call for streaming parsing
• Works with partial buffers
• Very low memory footprint
• Supports optional path flattening (ZEROTAR_FLAGS_FLATTEN)
• Handles USTAR-formatted tar headers
• Only core features supported:
  • filename
  • size
• All other fields are skipped (no permissions, owners, etc)

Notes

• The parser assumes extremely low memory environments, less than 200 bytes of RAM needed
• The parser expects USTAR headers. Malformed headers may be ignored or cause early termination.
• Always zero out struct zerotar_s before use to ensure proper operation.

Include the header in your project:

#include "zerotar.h"

In one source file, define the implementation:

#define ZEROTAR_IMPLEMENTATION
#include "zerotar.h"

Before use, all fields in struct zerotar_s should be zeroed:

struct zerotar_s zt = {0};
zt.flags = ZEROTAR_FLAGS_FLATTEN; // optional feature
zt.f_open  = my_open_callback;
zt.f_write = my_write_callback;
zt.f_close = my_close_callback;
zt.userdata = my_context;

Note: Callbacks can be NULL in case we don't need some or all of them.

f_open(void *userdata, const char *name, int size)

   Called when a new file starts. name is the file path (flattened if ZEROTAR_FLAGS_FLATTEN is set). size is the expected file size in bytes.

f_write(void *userdata, uint8_t *buf, int len)

   Called with chunks of file data. The parser may deliver data in arbitrary chunk sizes.

f_close(void *userdata)

   Called when a file finishes.

void zerotar(struct zerotar_s *zt, uint8_t *buf, int len);

   zt – pointer to the parser state

   buf – buffer containing part of the TAR archive

   len – number of bytes in the buffer (if len < 0, the parser is reset and internal state cleared)

Call zerotar() repeatedly as new data arrives.