X-Git-Url: https://git.dogcows.com/gitweb?p=chaz%2Ftar;a=blobdiff_plain;f=README;h=9c60103001102c31bcda8b3a56f45a8426a41244;hp=d35f9cee3298ef4cc2a4bc836ff81858eb5df77d;hb=a09e840507c16357ec11b17a02e103c3a26adebc;hpb=bf9a7d3d974cb28346b8c893eed077a2a2b194b7 diff --git a/README b/README index d35f9ce..9c60103 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,82 +1,135 @@ +README for GNU tar +See the end of file for copying conditions. + +* Introduction + 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. +'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. +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 +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. +'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': + +* Install + +** Selecting the default archive format. + +The default archive format is GNU, this can be overridden by +presetting DEFAULT_ARCHIVE_FORMAT while configuring. The allowed +values are GNU, V7, OLDGNU, USTAR and POSIX. + +** Selecting the default archive device + +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. + +** Selecting full pathname of the "rmt" binary. + +Previous versions of tar always looked for "rmt" binary in the +directory "/etc/rmt". However, the "rmt" program included +in the distribution was installed under "$prefix/libexec/rmt". +To fix this discrepancy, tar now looks for "$prefix/libexec/rmt". +If you do not want this behavior, specify full path name of +"rmt" binary using DEFAULT_RMT_DIR variable, e.g.: -GNU `tar' is derived from John Gilmore's public domain `tar'. +./configure DEFAULT_RMT_DIR=/etc -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 `NEWS' for a list of major changes in the current release. -See file `THANKS' for a list of contributors. +If you already have a copy of "rmt" installed and wish to use it +instead of the version supplied with the distribution, use --with-rmt +option: -Besides those configure options documented in files `INSTALL' and -`ABOUT-NLS', an extra option may be accepted after `./configure': +./configure --with-rmt=/etc/rmt -* `--disable-largefile' omits support for large files, even if the +This will also disable building the included version of rmt. + +** Installing backup scripts. + +This version of tar is shipped with the shell scripts for producing +incremental backups (dumps) and restoring filesystems from them. +The name of the backup script is "backup". The name of the +restore script is "restore". They are installed in "$prefix/sbin" +directory. + +Use option --enable-backup-scripts to compile and install these +scripts. + +** '--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/. - -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, -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 -are preferred. Big files may sometimes be necessary, but do not send them -to the report address; rather take special arrangement with the maintainer. +those larger than 2 GB on a 32-bit host. -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'. +* 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. -* Static linking. +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: -Some platform will, by default, prepare a smaller `tar' executable -which depends on shared libraries. Since GNU `tar' may be used for +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 +. You can work around the +incompatibility by using a shell command like + 'gzip -d is not found (Slackware). +Set LIBS to '-lbsd' before configuration (see 'INSTALL') if the linker +complains about 'bsd_ioctl' (Slackware). Also set CPPFLAGS to +'-I/usr/include/bsd' if is not found (Slackware). -* OPENStep 4.2 swap files +** OPENStep 4.2 swap files Tar cannot read the file /private/vm/swapfile.front (even as root). 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. -.------------------. -| Special topics. | -`------------------' +* Special topics -Here are a few special matters about GNU `tar', not related to build +Here are a few special matters about GNU 'tar', not related to build matters. See previous section for such. -* File attributes. +** File attributes. -About *security*, it is probable that future releases of `tar' will have +About *security*, it is probable that future releases of 'tar' will have some behavior changed. There are many pending suggestions to choose from. -Today, extracting an archive not being `root', `tar' will restore suid/sgid -bits on files but owned by the extracting user. `root' automatically gets -a lot of special privileges, `-p' might later become required to get them. +Today, extracting an archive not being 'root', 'tar' will restore suid/sgid +bits on files but owned by the extracting user. 'root' automatically gets +a lot of special privileges, '-p' might later become required to get them. -GNU `tar' does not properly restore symlink attributes. Various systems +GNU 'tar' does not properly restore symlink attributes. Various systems implement flavors of symbolic links showing different behavior and properties. We did not successfully sorted all these out yet. Currently, -the `lchown' call will be used if available, but that's all. +the 'lchown' call will be used if available, but that's all. + +** POSIX compliance. + +GNU 'tar' is able to create archive in the following formats: + + *** The format of UNIX version 7 + *** POSIX.1-1988 format, also known as "ustar format" + *** POSIX.1-2001 format, also known as "pax format" + *** Old GNU format (described below) -* POSIX compliance. +In addition to those, GNU 'tar' is also able to read archives +produced by 'star' archiver. -GNU `tar' implements an early draft of the POSIX 1003.1 `ustar' standard -which is different from the final standard. This will be progressively -corrected over the incoming few years. Don't be mislead by the mere -existence of the --posix option. Later releases will become able to -read truly POSIX archives, and also to produce them under option. (Also, -if you look at the internals, don't take the GNU extensions you see for -granted, as they are planned to change.) GNU tar 2.0 will produce POSIX -archives by default, but there is a long way before we get there. +A so called 'Old GNU' format is based on an early draft of the +POSIX 1003.1 'ustar' standard which is different from the final +standard. It defines its extensions (such as incremental backups +and handling of the long file names) in a way incompatible with +any existing tar archive format, therefore the use of old GNU +format is strongly discouraged. + +Please read the file NEWS for more information about POSIX compliance +and new 'tar' features. * 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). +GNU tar will be merged into GNU paxutils: a project containing +several utilities related to creating and handling archives in +various formats. The project will include tar, cpio and pax +utilities. + +* Bug reporting. + +Send bug reports to . 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 +are preferred. Big files may sometimes be necessary, but do not send them +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 +and share your findings by writing to . + + +* Copying + +Copyright 1990-1992, 1994, 1997-2001, 2003-2004, 2007, 2012-2013 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 3 of the License, 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 this program. If not, see . + +NOTE ON COPYRIGHT YEARS + +In copyright notices where the copyright holder is the Free Software +Foundation, then where a range of years appears, this is an inclusive +range that applies to every year in the range. For example: 2005-2008 +represents the years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. + +Local Variables: +mode: outline +paragraph-separate: "[ ]*$" +version-control: never +End: