[Info-vax] VMSTAR update candidate?

[John E. Malmberg]

Steven Schweda wrote:
> John E. Malmberg wrote:
> 
>> Have you tested it for handling VMS executable binaries?
> 
>    Not until now.  Seems to work, unless the conversion to
> Stream_LF bothers you.  If I'm worried about non-UNIX-like
> files, I tend to avoid "tar" of any kind.

No, VMS does not care if an executable is a Stream-LF or any type of 
stream file.

>    I'd tend to use [Un]Zip in any case where VMS file
> attributes are important.  To the extent that the Info-ZIP
> programs do the right thing, stealing the attribute
> store-and-restore method used there might be reasonable.  That
> wheel seems to be round enough to reuse.

The TAR specification has a format that can be extended to store VMS 
attributes.  Once that extension has been worked out, then it needs to 
be added to the TAR specification.  The gnu tar maintainers have 
indicated that

>>   I have not had time to work out
>> the details of implementing that.
> 
>    I can beat that.  I lack the ambition.

I understand.  Updating gnu tar is low on my list.  The tar 1.19 is 
doing what I need it to do, which is extracting tarballs.  I mainly did 
the port to find out why Archive::Tar was failing on VMS and wanted the 
then current gnu tar release for a reference.

>> Please put entries in the PORTING_TO_VMS conference on encompasserve.org
>>   about what things that you have learned about porting projects.
> 
>    Should be possible.  Of course, this is not really a
> _porting_ project.  _GNU_ "tar" is a _porting_ project.

Implementing the specification that a Unix program uses can be 
considered a port.

In general any knowledge that helps in getting programs implemented on 
VMS would be on topic.

-John
wb8tyw at qsl.network
Personal Opinion Only