Re: [Bug-tar] tar -vf /dev/stdout produces corrupted archives

[Radek Brich]

On Wed 12. of December 2007 05:06:37 Tim Kientzle wrote:
> fedusr wrote:
> > But it remains a little bit strange resp. a dilemma.
> > The 'GNU Coreutils Manual' says:
>
> Perhaps more relevant are the following excerpts from
> The Single UNIX ® Specification, Version 2, 1997
> (Note that "tar" was dropped from later standards):
>
> v
>      (Verbose.) Write to standard error the name of
>      each file processed ... When used with the t
>      function letter, v writes to standard output ...
>
> STDOUT
>
>      When the f modifier is used with ... -, the standard
> output is an archive ... When the t function letter is
> used, the standard output consists of the names of the
> files ... Otherwise, the standard output is not used.
>
> STDERR
>
>      The standard error is used for diagnostic messages
> and the filename output described under the v modifier
> (when the t function letter is not used).

Sure, but as tar already "breaks" the standards and redirects listing to 
stderr in one case, maybe it should do it proper and redirect it always when 
archive is being send to stdout. Or maybe we should drop this behaviour 
completely, in which case I propose to let tar detect where archive goes as 
well and rather not print listing at all then mixing it with archive.

Or, at least, warn the users in documentation that this corruption could 
happen.

-- 
           Radek Brich
   /__\    Base OS/core services
 ~~~~~~~~  Red Hat, Brno, Czech Rep.

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