Re: [Bug-tar] tar "v7" format archives are created with directory entries

[Sergey Poznyakoff]

Hi Paul,

> This is talking about what tar will accept, but isn't the bug report
> about what tar generates?

I'm afraid I didn't explain myself properly.  The test case in question
tests if tar stores directories while creating a "v7" archive.  Here's
an excerpt:

  tar cfvo archive directory 
   
The -o option is synonymous to -H v7, so the case fits exactly the bug
report. 
  
> Perhaps we should leave the current behavior alone, since it's been
> that way for quite some time and possibly people depend on it.

They do, indeed.  As I said, Automake generated Makefiles use this
feature extensively.  By default, the "dist" goal in such Makefiles
creates the distribution tarball using this command:

  tar chof - DIRNAME

so we cannot simply change the existing behavior.
  
> We could call the new option --format='seventh-edition'.

Nice idea.  I'm all for it.

Regards,
Sergey