Re: [Bug-tar] Re: [PATCH] Extended attribute support for tar

[Sergey Poznyakoff]

Joerg Schilling <address@hidden> wrote:

> >  This would mean the default would have to change when you enable that
> > option[1], is there a reason to not allow it with the gnu format? Also
> 
> The "GNU tar" archive format is neither POSIX (not even POSIX.1-1988)
> nor really compatible to historical tar formats.

This is a well-known fact, stated in GNU tar documentation. It is hardly
woth repeating the same thing over and over again. 
 
> You cannot add POSIX features to a non-POSIX format.

Quite right.
 
> > to be compatible[2] with star we need to at least extract from ustar
> > typed archives (star's exustar is treated by GNUtar as ustar ... AIUI).
> 
> This needs to be called a bug in GNU tar.

Yes, if it really were treating it as ustar. 
 
> > [1] Or have the horribly ugly UI that star has where you need to specify
> > --xattrs and --format=posix or it'd fail, which seems to be much worse
> > for no real gain.
> 
> I belioeve that that it's rather the GNU tar UI that is horribly ugly.

No accounting for tastes.

Regards,
Sergey