+README for GNU tar
+
+ Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000,
+ 2001, 2003 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+ This file is part of GNU tar.
+
+ GNU tar is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
+ it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+ the Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option)
+ any later version.
+
+ GNU tar is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+ GNU General Public License for more details.
+
+ You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+ along with tar; see the file COPYING. If not, write to
+ the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330,
+ Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
+
+
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.
operating system supports large files. Typically, large files are
those larger on 2 GB on a 32-bit host.
+The default archive format is GNU, this can be overridden by
+presetting DEFAULT_ARCHIVE_FORMAT while configuring. The allowed
+values are GNU, V7, OLDGNU and POSIX.
+
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
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/.
-
-Send bug reports to `bug-tar@gnu.org'. (Beware, old-timers: it is
-`@gnu', not `@prep'; and not `bug-gnu-utils' anymore.) A bug report is
-an adequate description of the problem: your input, what you expected,
+and only then, Autoconf 2.57 or later. Install Perl, then Automake
+1.7.5 or later. Also, install gettext 0.12.1 or later. You might
+need Bison 1.875 or later, and GNU tar itself. All are available on
+GNU archive sites, like in ftp://ftp.gnu.org/pub/gnu/.
+
+Send bug reports to <bug-tar@gnu.org>. A bug report should contain
+an adequate description of the problem, your input, what you expected,
what you got, and why this is wrong. Diffs are welcome, but they only
describe a solution, from which the problem might be uneasy to infer.
If needed, submit actual data files with your report. Small data files
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.
tar: Child returned status 2
then you have encountered a gzip incompatibility that should be fixed
-in gzip 1.3, which is not yet available as of this writing. You can
-work around the incompatibility by using a shell command like
-`gzip -d <file.tar.gz | tar -xzf -'.
+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.
-If you are compiling with GCC, you may need to upgrade GCC to 2.95.2
-or later before compiling GNU tar, as GNU tar exercises many features
-that can cause problems with older GCC versions, mostly having to do
-with mutations to Solaris system include files.
+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
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
Solaris (vendor) -Bstatic
SunOS (vendor) -Bstatic
-* Failed `incremen.sh'.
+* Failed tests `ignfail.sh' or `incremen.sh'.
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.
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.
projects / chaz / tar / blobdiff