Do not comment out all the code if we are using the GNU C library,

[chaz/tar] / README

diff --git a/README b/README
index d35f9cee3298ef4cc2a4bc836ff81858eb5df77d..2ada6860d41e53ad2c00be475972d32ad386f227 100644 (file)
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@ program is in the GNU `cpio' distribution.
 GNU `tar' is derived from John Gilmore's public domain `tar'.
 
 See file `ABOUT-NLS' for how to customize this program to your language.
 GNU `tar' is derived from John Gilmore's public domain `tar'.
 
 See file `ABOUT-NLS' for how to customize this program to your language.

-See file `BACKLOG' for a summary of pending mail and articles.

 See file `COPYING' for copying conditions.
 See file `INSTALL' for compilation and installation instructions.
 See file `PORTS' for various ports of GNU tar to non-Unix systems.
 See file `COPYING' for copying conditions.
 See file `INSTALL' for compilation and installation instructions.
 See file `PORTS' for various ports of GNU tar to non-Unix systems.


@@ -55,14 +54,46 @@ to the report address; rather take special arrangement with the maintainer.
 Your feedback will help us to make a better and more portable package.
 Consider documentation errors as bugs, and report them as such.  If you
 develop anything pertaining to `tar' or have suggestions, let us know
 Your feedback will help us to make a better and more portable package.
 Consider documentation errors as bugs, and report them as such.  If you
 develop anything pertaining to `tar' or have suggestions, let us know

-and share your findings by writing at `tar-forum@iro.umontreal.ca'.
+and share your findings by writing to <bug-tar@gnu.org>.

 
 

-.--------------------.
-| Installation hints |
-`--------------------'
+
+Installation hints
+------------------

 
 Here are a few hints which might help installing `tar' on some systems.
 
 
 Here are a few hints which might help installing `tar' on some systems.
 

+* gzip and bzip2.
+
+GNU tar uses the gzip and bzip2 programs to read and write compressed
+archives.  If you don't have these programs already, you need to
+install them.  Their sources can be found at:
+
+ftp://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/gzip/
+http://sourceware.cygnus.com/bzip2/
+
+If you see the following symptoms:
+
+   $ tar -xzf file.tar.gz
+   gzip: stdin: decompression OK, trailing garbage ignored
+   tar: Child returned status 2
+
+then you have encountered a gzip incompatibility that should be fixed
+in gzip test version 1.3, which as of this writing is available at
+<ftp://alpha.gnu.org/gnu/gzip/>.  You can work around the
+incompatibility by using a shell command like
+ `gzip -d <file.tar.gz | tar -xzf -'.
+
+* Solaris issues.
+
+GNU tar exercises many features that can cause problems with older GCC
+versions.  In particular, GCC 2.8.1 (sparc, -O1 or -O2) is known to
+miscompile GNU tar.  No compiler-related problems have been reported
+when using GCC 2.95.2 or later.
+
+Recent versions of Solaris tar sport a new -E option to generate
+extended headers in an undocumented format.  GNU tar does not
+understand these headers.
+

 * Static linking.
 
 Some platform will, by default, prepare a smaller `tar' executable
 * Static linking.
 
 Some platform will, by default, prepare a smaller `tar' executable


@@ -76,7 +107,7 @@ to a value from the table below, before configuration (see `INSTALL').
        Platform        Compiler        LDFLAGS
 
        (any)           Gnu C           -static
        Platform        Compiler        LDFLAGS
 
        (any)           Gnu C           -static

-       AIX             (vendor)        "-bnso -bI:/lib/syscalls.exp"
+       AIX             (vendor)        -bnso -bI:/lib/syscalls.exp

        HPUX            (vendor)        -Wl,-a,archive
        IRIX            (vendor)        -non_shared
        OSF             (vendor)        -non_shared
        HPUX            (vendor)        -Wl,-a,archive
        IRIX            (vendor)        -non_shared
        OSF             (vendor)        -non_shared


@@ -84,12 +115,12 @@ to a value from the table below, before configuration (see `INSTALL').
        Solaris         (vendor)        -Bstatic
        SunOS           (vendor)        -Bstatic
 
        Solaris         (vendor)        -Bstatic
        SunOS           (vendor)        -Bstatic
 

-* Failed `incremen.sh'.
+* Failed test `incremen.sh'.

 
 In an NFS environment, lack of synchronization between machine clocks
 might create difficulties to any tool comparing dates and file time stamps,
 
 In an NFS environment, lack of synchronization between machine clocks
 might create difficulties to any tool comparing dates and file time stamps,

-like `tar' in incremental dumps.  This has been a recurrent problem in
-GNU Makefiles for the last few years.  We would like a general solution.
+like `tar' in incremental dumps.  This has been a recurrent problem with
+GNU Make for the last few years.  We would like a general solution.

 
 * BSD compatibility matters.
 
 
 * BSD compatibility matters.
 


@@ -104,9 +135,9 @@ This file is not a real file, but some kind of uncompressed view of
 the real compressed swap file; there is no reason to back it up, so
 the simplest workaround is to avoid tarring this file.
 
 the real compressed swap file; there is no reason to back it up, so
 the simplest workaround is to avoid tarring this file.
 

-.------------------.
-| Special topics.  |
-`------------------'
+
+Special topics
+--------------

 
 Here are a few special matters about GNU `tar', not related to build
 matters.  See previous section for such.
 
 Here are a few special matters about GNU `tar', not related to build
 matters.  See previous section for such.


@@ -137,14 +168,6 @@ archives by default, but there is a long way before we get there.
 
 * What's next?
 
 
 * What's next?
 

-The emphasis from 1.11.2 to 1.14 has been on solving the main portability,
-execution or usability bugs.  This was accompanied all over with an
-internal cleanup in the sources, and the reassembly of a `tar' manual.
-
-The `BACKLOG' file shows approximate priorities of the many pending
-problems and suggestions.  Besides pending problems and all other matters
-listed above, the cleanup is planned to continue and extend to the general
-organization of the code, preparing a long time in advance for a possible
-merge of the `cpio' and `tar' distributions, into some common `paxutils'.
-We also want to address some long-awaited performance issues (for example:
-double buffering) or enhancements (for example: per-file compression).
+In the future we will try to release tar-1.14 as soon as possible and
+start merging with paxutils afterwards.  We'll also try to rewrite
+some parts of the documentation after paxutils has been merged.