how universal is tar format? SYSV?

[Barry Shein]

From: jsdy at hadron.UUCP (Joseph S. D. Yao)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: how universal is tar format? SYSV?

>>                          ...   As a robustness note, even tho UCB puts
>> directory names on the tape SYSV just grumbles and ignores and finishes
>> fine.  Conversely, given a tape to read on a new system I would budget
>> more time if it were a cpio tape.
	[Me, btw]

>If you're creating a 4BSD tar tape for a USG or unspecified UNIX system,
>you should use the 'o' keyletter.  This says, omit those directories.
>	Joe Yao		hadron!jsdy at seismo.{ARPA,UUCP}

You are making the classic mistake, my original comments had more
to do with randomly created tapes falling in your lap (ie. *I*
didn't write them.) The whole point was mucho trouble with cpio tape
in at least one case (argh!! don't respond with ways to write portable
cpio tapes! this one was from AT&T, it was tooo late.) and very little
trouble with tar tapes. If you have control you can write a portable
EBCDIC tape with dd, as long as *you* read and *you* write it.

	-Barry Shein, Boston University