Unclear Error Message on `ADD <big file>`

[aerique]

Issue Description

I'm getting a really unclear error message when doing an ADD <big file> to the root of the filesystem. In the end it turned out I needed more subuids but the error message was no help at all.

Steps to reproduce the issue

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. download https://releases.sailfishos.org/sdk/installers/latest/Jolla-latest-SailfishOS_Platform_SDK_Chroot-i486.tar.bz2
2. create Dockerfile:

FROM scratch
ADD downloads/Jolla-latest-SailfishOS_Platform_SDK_Chroot-i486.tar.bz2 /

3. podman build -f Dockerfile
4. get unclear error message

Describe the results you received

A huge blob of debug output with no relation to the actual issue.

Describe the results you expected

An actionable error message.

podman info output

$ podman info
host:
  arch: amd64
  buildahVersion: 1.43.1
  cgroupControllers:
  - cpu
  - io
  - memory
  - pids
  cgroupManager: systemd
  cgroupVersion: v2
  conmon:
    package: conmon-2.2.1-2.fc44.x86_64
    path: /usr/bin/conmon
    version: 'conmon version 2.2.1, commit: '
  cpuUtilization:
    idlePercent: 87.89
    systemPercent: 2.4
    userPercent: 9.71
  cpus: 16
  databaseBackend: sqlite
  distribution:
    codename: Kinoite
    distribution: bazzite
    variant: bazzite-nvidia-open
    version: "44"
  emulatedArchitectures:
  - linux/arm64
  - linux/arm64be
  eventLogger: journald
  freeLocks: 2048
  hostname: slurfa
  idMappings:
    gidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 524288
    uidmap:
    - container_id: 0
      host_id: 1000
      size: 1
    - container_id: 1
      host_id: 524288
      size: 524288
  kernel: 6.19.14-ogc5.1.fc44.x86_64
  linkmode: dynamic
  logDriver: journald
  memFree: 4533088256
  memTotal: 33321574400
  networkBackend: netavark
  networkBackendInfo:
    backend: netavark
    defaultNetwork: podman
    dns:
      package: aardvark-dns-1.17.1-1.fc44.x86_64
      path: /usr/libexec/podman/aardvark-dns
      version: aardvark-dns 1.17.1
    package: netavark-1.17.2-1.fc44.x86_64
    path: /usr/libexec/podman/netavark
    version: netavark 1.17.2
  ociRuntime:
    name: crun
    package: crun-1.27.1-1.fc44.x86_64
    path: /usr/bin/crun
    version: |-
      crun version 1.27.1
      commit: 3ec076b3b6714ec2f1a10533cf18d5605a6de637
      rundir: /run/user/1000/crun
      spec: 1.0.0
      +SYSTEMD +SELINUX +APPARMOR +CAP +SECCOMP +EBPF +CRIU +LIBKRUN +WASM:wasmedge +YAJL
  os: linux
  pasta:
    executable: /usr/bin/pasta
    package: passt-0^20260120.g386b5f5-1.fc44.x86_64
    version: |
      pasta 0^20260120.g386b5f5-1.fc44.x86_64
      Copyright Red Hat
      GNU General Public License, version 2 or later
        <https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.html>
      This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
      There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
  remoteSocket:
    exists: true
    path: /run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock
  rootlessNetworkCmd: pasta
  security:
    apparmorEnabled: false
    capabilities: CAP_CHOWN,CAP_DAC_OVERRIDE,CAP_FOWNER,CAP_FSETID,CAP_KILL,CAP_NET_BIND_SERVICE,CAP_SETFCAP,CAP_SETGID,CAP_SETPCAP,CAP_SETUID,CAP_SYS_CHROOT
    rootless: true
    seccompEnabled: true
    seccompProfilePath: /usr/share/containers/seccomp.json
    selinuxEnabled: true
  serviceIsRemote: false
  slirp4netns:
    executable: /usr/bin/slirp4netns
    package: slirp4netns-1.3.1-4.fc44.x86_64
    version: |-
      slirp4netns version 1.3.1
      commit: e5e368c4f5db6ae75c2fce786e31eef9da6bf236
      libslirp: 4.9.1
      SLIRP_CONFIG_VERSION_MAX: 6
      libseccomp: 2.6.0
  swapFree: 52388728832
  swapTotal: 68719472640
  uptime: 2061h 27m 19.00s (Approximately 85.88 days)
  variant: ""
plugins:
  authorization: null
  log:
  - k8s-file
  - none
  - passthrough
  - journald
  network:
  - bridge
  - macvlan
  - ipvlan
  volume:
  - local
registries:
  search:
  - registry.fedoraproject.org
  - registry.access.redhat.com
  - docker.io
store:
  configFile: /var/home/user/.config/containers/storage.conf
  containerStore:
    number: 0
    paused: 0
    running: 0
    stopped: 0
  graphDriverName: overlay
  graphOptions: {}
  graphRoot: /var/home/user/.local/share/containers/storage
  graphRootAllocated: 1997604388864
  graphRootUsed: 1266944126976
  graphStatus:
    Backing Filesystem: btrfs
    Native Overlay Diff: "true"
    Supports d_type: "true"
    Supports shifting: "false"
    Supports volatile: "true"
    Using metacopy: "false"
  imageCopyTmpDir: /var/tmp
  imageStore:
    number: 2
  runRoot: /run/user/1000/containers
  transientStore: false
  volumePath: /var/home/user/.local/share/containers/storage/volumes
version:
  APIVersion: 5.8.2
  BuildOrigin: Fedora Project
  Built: 1776124800
  BuiltTime: Tue Apr 14 02:00:00 2026
  GitCommit: 5b263b5f5b48004a87caac44e67349a8266d9ef4
  GoVersion: go1.26.1-X:nodwarf5
  Os: linux
  OsArch: linux/amd64
  Version: 5.8.2

Podman in a container

No

Privileged Or Rootless

Rootless

Upstream Latest Release

No idea.

Additional environment details

none

Additional information

none

[Luap99]

get unclear error message

Then please provide the error message and what other message you would expect.

[hihry]

I reproduced the issue,
This is what error message looks like :

STEP 1/2: FROM scratch
STEP 2/2: ADD Jolla-latest-SailfishOS_Platform_SDK_Chroot-i486.tar.bz2 /
Error: building at STEP "ADD Jolla-latest-SailfishOS_Platform_SDK_Chroot-i486.tar.bz2 /": 3 errors occurred:
        * reading "/mnt/c/hihry/podman-test/Jolla-latest-SailfishOS_Platform_SDK_Chroot-i486.tar.bz2": error during bulk transfer for copier.request{...}
        * closing "/mnt/c/hihry/podman-test/Jolla-latest-SailfishOS_Platform_SDK_Chroot-i486.tar.bz2": reading tar archive: flushing tar item padding for "./etc/xinetd.d/rsync": io: read/write on closed pipe
        * storing "/mnt/c/hihry/podman-test/Jolla-latest-SailfishOS_Platform_SDK_Chroot-i486.tar.bz2": error during bulk transfer for copier.request{...}: copier: put: error setting ownership of "/var/spool/mail/appsupport-root" to 500000:12: lchown /var/spool/mail/appsupport-root: invalid argument