Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 8/1/84; site rlgvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hao!seismo!rlgvax!guy From: guy@rlgvax.UUCP (Guy Harris) Newsgroups: net.unix Subject: Re: WANTED:SYS V tar to read Berkeley ta Message-ID: <53@rlgvax.UUCP> Date: Tue, 21-Aug-84 02:20:17 EDT Article-I.D.: rlgvax.53 Posted: Tue Aug 21 02:20:17 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 16-Aug-84 01:59:15 EDT References: <261@hudson.UUCP> <18500018@smu.UUCP> Organization: CCI Office Systems Group, Reston, VA Lines: 20 Other than possibly a question of blocksize, the only difference between the versions of "tar" is that the Berkeley version puts entries on the tape with pathnames ending in "/" to represent directories, so that 1) empty directories can be put on a tape and made when the tape is read in and 2) the owner and mode of directories is recorded on the tape. Other versions of "tar" seem to complain when they see these entries, but just pass them over and read the tape successfully anyway (without creating empty directories or setting the owner or mode of non-empty directories created). 4.2BSD's "tar" also puts special entries for symbolic links which other versions may choke on. I've moved "tar" files between a 4.1c machine and a System III machine (not tapes, because the 4.1c VAX uses 9-track tapes and the System III micro uses cartridge tapes) with no problems other than occasional complaints about "cannot create /usr/include/" and the like. Repeat: there seems to be no real compatibility problem between 4.xBSD "tar" and other versions of "tar". We now return you to your regularly scheduled newsgroup. Guy Harris {seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy