[comp.sys.apple2] TAR'ed files

SPC1@psuvm.psu.edu (Sean Costella) (09/09/90)

I've run into some problems again FTPing.  I've found some programs archived
in a .TAR.Z format.  I've downloaded them into a binary format, unZ'ed them
using GS Shrinkit.  It then converted to a .TAR format.  This is where I'm
stuck, if anyone knows how to unTAR the files, I'd appreciate a response.



                                                    Thanx,
                                                      Shroom

gwyn@smoke.BRL.MIL (Doug Gwyn) (09/10/90)

In article <90251.182108SPC1@psuvm.psu.edu> SPC1@psuvm.psu.edu (Sean Costella) writes:
>I've run into some problems again FTPing.  I've found some programs archived
>in a .TAR.Z format.  I've downloaded them into a binary format, unZ'ed them
>using GS Shrinkit.  It then converted to a .TAR format.  This is where I'm
>stuck, if anyone knows how to unTAR the files, I'd appreciate a response.

"tar" is AT&T proprietary software, although I believe there are some
compatible public-domain or GNUware utilities that can unpack "tar" archives.
However, you don't really need them for occasional use; a "tar" archive just
contains the files in exact image form each preceded by a short header that
contains the file name plus some binary owner/time info.  Thus, any good text
editor (one that doesn't mind a bit of binary here and there) can be used to
carve a "tar" archive of text files into individual files.