Re: [Bug-tar] file name too long to be stored in a GNU multivolume header

[Joerg Schilling]

Curt Blank <address@hidden> wrote:

> Thank you. Didn't see the --format option when I do a "man tar" but I 
> now see it when I do a "tar --help".
>
> Just curious as to the answer to Jörg question below.
>
> And I'm wondering where I can get more information to read up on the 
> different formats the --format option uses.
>
> I just tested a restore of a file from tape that was written without the 
> --format=pax option and the restore worked find (this file was not a 
> tape spanned file) so I won't have to worry about compatibility with 
> backups and restores as I implement the use of this option.

I believe that GNU tar does not document it's archive formats.
The last time I checked, I could not find any documentation.

Star's archive formats are documented in man -s 4 star or here:

http://cdrecord.berlios.de/old/private/star.html

in special here: http://cdrecord.berlios.de/old/private/man/star/star.4.html

It seems that I forgot to document the high level parts for multi-volume 
handling, but the low level constructs like e.g. "SCHILY.offset" or 
"SCHILY.volhdr.blockoff" is documented. Note that star is very careful to 
define portable constructs as star e.g. fork()s into a "tar" process and
a "tape" process - the "tar"-process does not know anything about multi-volume 
and the "tape"-process does not know anything about the tar format.

If you find other missing parts, please keep me informed.

Jörg

-- 
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