Re: FW: [gnu.org #19126] GNU tar and slack space.

[Paul Eggert]

> From: "Sullivan, George E." <address@hidden>
> Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 09:32:01 -0500 
> 
> Does GNU tar archive any data in a blocks slack space.

GNU tar reads files using standard system calls like "open" and
"read".  Therefore GNU tar does not "archive" data in deleted files,
or data that is "past end of file", etc.

Low-level programs like "ufsdump" may bypass the ordinary operating
system security and read file data directly from the underlying
devices, but GNU tar does not behave that way: it behaves like an
ordinary program and does not "see" any more of a file than an
ordinary program would.