order seems relevant for older gnu tar

scripts/ipkg-build

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh -x
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
 
 # ipkg-build -- construct a .ipk from a directory
 # Carl Worth <cworth@east.isi.edu>
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@ tmp_dir=$dest_dir/IPKG_BUILD.$$
 mkdir $tmp_dir
 
 echo $CONTROL > $tmp_dir/tarX
-( cd $pkg_dir && tar $ogargs -czf $tmp_dir/data.tar.gz . -X $tmp_dir/tarX )
+( cd $pkg_dir && tar $ogargs -X $tmp_dir/tarX -czf $tmp_dir/data.tar.gz . )
 ( cd $pkg_dir/$CONTROL && tar $ogargs -czf $tmp_dir/control.tar.gz . )
 rm $tmp_dir/tarX