make_replication_sandbox failed with tar

Here's the command I gave:

make_replication_sandbox /opt/mysql/mysql-5.0.51a.tar.gz --how_many_nodes=1 --check_base_port --verbose

Error:
installing and starting master
/bin/tar: mysql-5.0.51a/bdb/btree: Cannot utime: Operation not permitted
/bin/tar: mysql-5.0.51a/bdb/build_vxworks/dbdemo/dbdemo: Cannot utime: Operation not permitted
...
error unpacking mysql-5.0.51a.tar.gz (Bad file descriptor)
unpacking /opt/mysql/mysql-5.0.51a.tar.gz
error installing the master

(2304 )

To keep moving on this I did this:
export SANDBOX_AS_ROOT=1
(yea I know I don't know what I'm doing)
make_replication_sandbox /opt/mysql/mysql-5.0.51a.tar.gz --how_many_nodes=1 --check_base_port --verbose
installing and starting master
/opt/mysql/5.0.51/bin/mysql_install_db not found
unpacking /opt/mysql/mysql-5.0.51a.tar.gz
Executing low_level_make_sandbox --basedir=/opt/mysql/5.0.51 \
 --sandbox_directory=msb_5_0_51 \
 --install_version=5.0 \
 --sandbox_port=5051 \
 --no_ver_after_name \
 --datadir_from=script \
 --no_confirm \
 --no_check_port \
 --upper_directory=/home/dba/sandboxes/rsandbox_5_0_51 \
 --sandbox_directory=master \
 --sandbox_port=26256 \
 --load_grants \
 --prompt_prefix=master \
 -c \
 log-bin=mysql-bin \
 -c \
 server-id=1 \
 --my_clause=log-error=msandbox.err
    The MySQL Sandbox, version 3.0.04
    (C) 2006,2007,2008,2009 Giuseppe Maxia
installing with the following parameters:
upper_directory = /home/dba/sandboxes/rsandbox_5_0_51
sandbox_directory = master
sandbox_port = 26256
check_port = 0
no_check_port = 1
datadir_from = script
install_version = 5.0
basedir = /opt/mysql/5.0.51
my_file =
operating_system_user = root
db_user = msandbox
db_password = msandbox
my_clause = log-bin=mysql-bin ; server-id=1 ; log-error=msandbox.err
prompt_prefix = master
prompt_body = [\h] {\u} (\d) > '
force = 0
no_ver_after_name = 1
verbose = 0
load_grants = 1
no_load_grants = 0
no_show = 0
error installing the master

(512 )
And yea the 5.0.51 dir ends up in /opt/mysql!

Really, I'm trying to following the directions but the cmd line help example is no longer valid for this release & the help isn't helping!

Then I rename my sandboxes dir to root-sandboxes, create a new sandboxes as my user, then I re-run the FIRST cmd. This time I get new errors:
creating replication directory /home/dba/sandboxes/rsandbox_5_0_51
installing and starting master
/opt/mysql/5.0.51/bin/mysql_install_db not found
unpacking /opt/mysql/mysql-5.0.51a.tar.gz
Executing low_level_make_sandbox --basedir=/opt/mysql/5.0.51 \
 --sandbox_directory=msb_5_0_51 \
 --install_version=5.0 \
 --sandbox_port=5051 \
 --no_ver_after_name \
 --datadir_from=script \
 --no_confirm \
 --no_check_port \
 --upper_directory=/home/dba/sandboxes/rsandbox_5_0_51 \
 --sandbox_directory=master \
 --sandbox_port=26256 \
 --load_grants \
 --prompt_prefix=master \
 -c \
 log-bin=mysql-bin \
 -c \
 server-id=1 \
 --my_clause=log-error=msandbox.err
    The MySQL Sandbox, version 3.0.04
    (C) 2006,2007,2008,2009 Giuseppe Maxia
installing with the following parameters:
upper_directory = /home/dba/sandboxes/rsandbox_5_0_51
sandbox_directory = master
sandbox_port = 26256
check_port = 0
no_check_port = 1
datadir_from = script
install_version = 5.0
basedir = /opt/mysql/5.0.51
my_file =
operating_system_user = dba
db_user = msandbox
db_password = msandbox
my_clause = log-bin=mysql-bin ; server-id=1 ; log-error=msandbox.err
prompt_prefix = master
prompt_body = [\h] {\u} (\d) > '
force = 0
no_ver_after_name = 1
verbose = 0
load_grants = 1
no_load_grants = 0
no_show = 0
error installing the master

(512 )

tips? hints?