[comp.unix.questions] Differences between System V 'tar' and BSD 'tar' facilities?

strahs@aecom.yu.edu (Dan Strahs) (08/13/89)

	Are there differences between the 'tar' facilities supported
	by AT&T System V Unix and BSD Unix?

	Here at the AECOM Dept. of Biochemistry, we just acquired a
	Silicon Graphics 80 which runs System V Unix.  However, the
	man pages for 'tar' indicate that the version used on the
	Silicon Graphics machine is from Berkeley.

	We are attempting to 'port over some source code (yes, it's licensed)
	from a VAX 780 also running System V.  However, every time we
	unpack a tar archive prepared on the VAX 780 with the SG 80,
	it unpacks correctly.  Files get truncated, checksum errors appear,
	multiple files in one archive aren't recognized, etc.

	Any help is greatly appreciated...

=============================================================================
 Dan Strahs                           ARPANET: aecom!strahs@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
 Albert Einstein College of Medicine  UUCP: {philabs,cucard,uiucuxc, etc.}!
 HOME:  1945 Eastchester Rd. #28B                   !aecom!strahs
	Bronx, NY 10461               HOMEPHONE: 212-863-4061
 WORK:  Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine
	Biochemistry Dept., Forcheimer 316
	1300 Morris Park Ave.
	Bronx, NY  10461              WORKPHONE: 212-430-3180
	     Disclaimer:  "just a sunshine daydream"
=============================================================================

strahs@aecom.yu.edu (Dan Strahs) (08/13/89)

	Here are a few additional facts to help you wizards...

	With the archive written by BSD tar, there are extra characters
	in the padding to 'flesh' out the current block that apparently
	follow the end of the file at a fixed distance.  Perhaps these
	are related to how many files there are and how big they are?

	Can I get the System V machine to write these characters at the
	end of the files in the archive it creates?

	If not, can I edit the current archive created with System V tar
	to include these characters so that it is recognized by the BSD
	tar?  This would probably be worth my time, since moving 6 Megabyte
	archives by phone line is painful process I'd hate to have to repeat.

=============================================================================
 Dan Strahs                           ARPANET: aecom!strahs@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
 Albert Einstein College of Medicine  UUCP: {philabs,cucard,uiucuxc, etc.}!
 HOME:  1945 Eastchester Rd. #28B                   !aecom!strahs
	Bronx, NY 10461               HOMEPHONE: 212-863-4061
 WORK:  Albert Einstein Coll. of Medicine
	Biochemistry Dept., Forcheimer 316
	1300 Morris Park Ave.
	Bronx, NY  10461              WORKPHONE: 212-430-3180
	     Disclaimer:  "just a sunshine daydream"
=============================================================================

cpcahil@virtech.UUCP (Conor P. Cahill) (08/13/89)

I have created tar files under 4.3BSD on a vax and had no trouble reading
them on SYSV R3 on an AT&T 3b2, and vice-versa, so there shouldn't be
any difference between tar files on either system.