On Wed August 29 2007 11:00:50 am Steinar H. Gunderson wrote: > On Wed, Aug 29, 2007 at 10:58:17AM -0500, John Goerzen wrote: > > I don't think so. Hasn't tar defaulted to something approximately > > /dev/rmt0 for *YEARS*, not just on Linux but on just about every > > platform, if -f is not given? > > No.
You cite nothing to back that up, and everything I can see shows that you're incorrect. Let's look around a bit: * GNU Tar from Debian 1.1, version 1.11.8-5, dated Aug 25 1996: "default /dev/rmt0" http://archive.debian.org/dists/Debian-1.1/source/base/tar-1.11.8-5.tar.gz * OpenBSD: defaults to /dev/rst0, honors $TAPE http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/man.cgi?query=tar * AIX: looks on the "default device (usually tape)", "default file name of the form /dev/rmt0" http://web.uvic.ca/helpdesk/cgi-bin/cgi?Script=script/unixman.csh&command=tar * FreeBSD: "default is /dev/sa0", honors $TAPE http://www2.tu-berlin.de/zrz/dienste/www/manpages/tar.html * bsdtar, in FreeBSD and Debian: "default tape device", /dev/sa0 on FreeBSD, honors $TAPE man bsdtar in Debian * Solaris: Uses value defined in /etc/default/tar, $TAPE overrides. http://www.net.uom.gr/Books/Manuals/usail/man/solaris/tar.1.html * GNU tar, present version: compile-time default, honors $TAPE "usually it is standard output or some physical tape drive" http://www.gnu.org/software/tar/manual/html_node/file-tutorial.html#file-tutorial http://www.gnu.org/software/tar/manual/html_node/defaults.html#defaults I think that, at minimum, we should work to achieve compatibility with bsdtar, which is already in Debian. Speaking of which, we probably ought to use /etc/alternatives for tar at some point. -- John -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
