Re: [Bug-tar] xattr support on Linux

[Pavel Raiskup]

> FWIW, both star and bsdtar support xattrs on Linux.
>
> It would be nice if GNU tar were compatible with those existing
> implementations.

Thanks Tim, yes -- xattr-patched GNU tar would be unable to extract
extended attributes from archives created by BSD tar now.  In BSD tar
pax headers you are using base64 encoding for xattr values *but* in
different namespace --> so it will be very easy to allow GNU tar unpack
also BSD tar archives.  I missed that fact and I'll address that later.

Otherwise, GNU tar should be compatible with star both ways because patch
for GNU tar adopted pax headers encoding from star and I checked it
before.  And ACLs should be BSD tar <=> GNU tar <=> star both way
compatible.

Pavel