[Bug-tar] Re: VMS file attribute issue with gnutar / file utilities.

[John E. Malmberg]

Sergey Poznyakoff wrote:
> [Cc-ing to bug-tar].

I can not find that in gmane, so I will probably have to lookup the 
subscription information.

> > VMS has files that the information on how to interpret the structure
> > is stored in the file header, not the file it self.
> >
> > Currently gnu tar is not recording this information, and I am trying
> > to determine a portable way to record it.
> >
> > The best hack that I can come up with is to mangle the name of the
> > file to contain that information, and demangle it on the unpack.
>
> I would suggest using PAX headers for that.

It looks like a good solution.  It will take me some time to figure out 
how to implement them.

From looking at the gnu tar documentation, I will need a file type code 
to indicate a VMS RMS attribute header record.  Would 'R' for 
GNUTYPE_VMS RMS be suitable?

It also looks like I will need an additional parameter.  Right now on 
VMS, gnu tar auto converts VMS text files to be in Unix format for 
interchange.  If gnu tar is getting the ability to store VMS file 
attributes, then users may want to optionally disable the automatic 
conversions.

It looks like the procedure is to create the PAX header first, followed 
by the "normal" header.

-John
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