WANTED:SYS V tar to read Berkeley ta

[Guy Harris]

Other than possibly a question of blocksize, the only difference between
the versions of "tar" is that the Berkeley version puts entries on the tape
with pathnames ending in "/" to represent directories, so that 1) empty
directories can be put on a tape and made when the tape is read in and 2)
the owner and mode of directories is recorded on the tape.  Other versions
of "tar" seem to complain when they see these entries, but just pass them over
and read the tape successfully anyway (without creating empty directories
or setting the owner or mode of non-empty directories created).  4.2BSD's
"tar" also puts special entries for symbolic links which other versions may
choke on.  I've moved "tar" files between a 4.1c machine and a System III
machine (not tapes, because the 4.1c VAX uses 9-track tapes and the System
III micro uses cartridge tapes) with no problems other than occasional
complaints about "cannot create /usr/include/" and the like.

Repeat: there seems to be no real compatibility problem between 4.xBSD "tar"
and other versions of "tar".  We now return you to your regularly scheduled
newsgroup.

	Guy Harris
	{seismo,ihnp4,allegra}!rlgvax!guy