tar trick; UUCP via intermediate host trick

[John Ruckstuhl]

1)  Have you ever been annoyed that, when unpacking a "tape archive"
    (tar-file) -- if it includes subdirectories, it may seem impossible
    for the ordinary user to unpack because the files and subdirectories
    retain their original ownership.

    I learn in another newsgroup about the sometimes undocumented "o"
    keyletter of "tar".

    > use tar xof file.tar
    > the o keyletter makes you owner of all files you grabbed off the 
    > archive.  Otherwise tar tries to reinstate the original 
    > owner/group (using the number,not the name), and that may not be 
    > you. After it grabbed it, changed the owner to the original, it
    > tries to re-set the time, and can't since it's not your file 
    > anymore.

    Works for me.  I use the 3.5 release of the Development Set.

2)  Have you ever tried to set up UUCP via direct line to an
    intermediate host which is networked to your target UUCP-partner?
    I have my 3b1 (sphere) in my office, serial cabled to my Sun SLC
    (zeta), and I wanted UUCP with one of our Sun SPARCStation 1+,
    (alpha).
    My first attempt was using "rlogin" in sphere's chat script to reach
    alpha.  But it failed, because (I think), the rlogin connection
    didn't pass 8-bit bytes.  That's why I post this, because it is one
    step away from the trivial solution, so there may be some who have
    tried this and given up.  Maybe not.  I *do* like to see myself
    type, though.

    Works for me.  I use HDB as found in archives at osu-cis
    (cheops.cis.ohio-state.edu):

    chat script on sphere (one line):
        alpha Any Direct 9600 none "" \d\r ogin:--ogin: Usphere- 
        assword: <secret> $ rsh\s-l\sUsphere;\sexit

    relevant /etc/passwd lines:
Usphere:M1xXsGIjHsdoF:155:8:uucp:/home/alpha/Usphere:/usr/lib/uucp/uucico
Usphere-:M1xXsGIjHsdoF:155:8:uucp:/home/alpha/Usphere:

    and, Usphere at alpha trusts (no password) Usphere- at zeta because a file
    /home/alpha/Usphere/.rhosts contains the entry 
        zeta.ee.ufl.edu Usphere-

Best regards,
ruck.
-- 
John R Ruckstuhl, Jr			ruck at alpha.ee.ufl.edu
Dept of Electrical Engineering		ruck at cis.ufl.edu, uflorida!ruck
University of Florida