pcl (07/14/82)
I just found what appears to be a bug in the UNIX (TM) program 'cpio'. Although I'm using UNIX 4.0, earlier versions of 'cpio' should probably be checked for similar behavior. The problem involves directories that are write-protected against everyone (which I use for storing the source to things I've obtained from others, like netnews). When restoring such a directory out of a 'cpio' archive, it apparently creates the directory (read-protected against itself), and then goes into an infinite-loop trying to write the files in that directory. No diagnostic is produced, and if you manually change the mode on the directory to allow it to write, it "instantly" starts putting the files in it, and then goes on normally. Paul Lustgarten BTL - Indian Hill South