+Please glance through *all* sections of this
+`README' file before starting configuration. Also make sure you read files
+`ABOUT-NLS' and `INSTALL' if you are not familiar with them already.
+
+If you got the `tar' distribution in `shar' format, time stamps ought to be
+properly restored; do not ignore such complaints at `unshar' time.
+
+GNU `tar' saves many files together into a single tape or disk
+archive, and can restore individual files from the archive. It includes
+multivolume support, the ability to archive sparse files, automatic archive
+compression/decompression, remote archives and special features that allow
+`tar' to be used for incremental and full backups. This distribution
+also includes `rmt', the remote tape server. The `mt' tape drive control
+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.
+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 `NEWS' for a list of major changes in the current release.
+See file `THANKS' for a list of contributors.
+
+Besides those configure options documented in files `INSTALL' and
+`ABOUT-NLS', an extra option may be accepted after `./configure':
+
+* `--disable-largefile' omits support for large files, even if the
+operating system supports large files. Typically, large files are
+those larger on 2 GB on a 32-bit host.
+
+The default archive device is now `stdin' on read and `stdout' on write.
+The installer can still override this by presetting `DEFAULT_ARCHIVE'
+in the environment before configuring (the behavior of `-[0-7]' or
+`-[0-7]lmh' options in `tar' are then derived automatically). Similarly,
+`DEFAULT_BLOCKING' can be preset to something else than 20.
+
+For comprehensive modifications to GNU tar, you might need tools beyond
+those used in simple installations. Fully install GNU m4 1.4 first,
+and only then, Autoconf 2.13 or later. Install Perl, then Automake
+1.4 or later. You might need Bison 1.28 or later, and GNU tar itself.
+All are available on GNU archive sites, like in
+ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/.