Re: Default tar for 1.3 and later

[Hummel Tom <tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> You can choose the output format. If you want ustar, you get ustar with
> the path limit and the ability to use almost any tar out there.
> You cannot do that with GNU tar. You know the typical recommendation?
> Install GNU tar! Just because GNU tar is unmaintained and they never
> fully implementation the portable archive format (just an early draft).

GNUtar can produce ustar files by using: 
--format={gnu;oldgnu;v7;ustar;posix}
The problem with Gnu tar seems it's use of extensions kept for future 
improvement in POSIX.1-1988 tar, which later where used differently in 
the following POSIX description.
I don't know about the details but POSIX could have adopted the GNU 
changes, which where perfecty legal because of their prior description.

What I would blame GNU for, is the war they are participating in, and 
trying to make all people use their extensions, by keeping back POSIX as 
default option.

> Well, I consider GNU tar kind of unexpected too :) BTW, we are the only
> BSD still using GNU tar (FreeBSD moved to BSD tar, Net and Open are using
> the pax frontend).
is this:
http://mail-index.netbsd.org/netbsd-bugs/2003/12/16/0007.html
solved?
IMHO NetBSD pax isn't the perfect solution, BSD tar is ok for me.

tom