GNU bug report logs - #74847
change default tar format from v7 to ustar (was: Re: reproducible tar archives)

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From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Simon Josefsson <simon <at> josefsson.org>
Subject: bug#74847: closed (Re: bug#74847: change default tar format from
 v7 to ustar)
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2025 22:17:02 +0000

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Your bug report

#74847: change default tar format from v7 to ustar (was: Re: reproducible tar archives)

which was filed against the automake package, has been closed.

The explanation is attached below, along with your original report.
If you require more details, please reply to 74847 <at> debbugs.gnu.org.

-- 
74847: https://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=74847
GNU Bug Tracking System
Contact help-debbugs <at> gnu.org with problems

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From: Karl Berry <karl <at> freefriends.org>
To: 74847-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#74847: change default tar format from v7 to ustar
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:16:07 -0700

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From: Simon Josefsson <simon <at> josefsson.org>
To: bug-automake <at> gnu.org
Cc: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>, Bruno Haible <bruno <at> clisp.org>
Subject: change default tar format from v7 to ustar (was: Re: reproducible
 tar archives)
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2024 12:29:27 +0100

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Hi automake folks,

What do you think about changing Automake's default tar format from v7
to ustar?

Are you aware of any system 'tar' that does doesn't cope with ustar?

What do you think about defaulting to the --format=posix PAX format?  It
may be just as safe as ustar, and only if a package uses some feature
(like >255 long filenames) that require PAX then it would be enabled,
otherwise it will remain ustar-compatible.

Discussion on the gnulib list suggests that at least ustar ought to be
safe to use these days.

/Simon

Bruno Haible via Gnulib discussion list <bug-gnulib <at> gnu.org> writes:

> Simon Josefsson wrote:
>> Possibly automake can move
>> from v7 to ustar.  Adding this to gnulib now allows us to gain
>> experience with it.
>
> I have already experience with it: Since 2018, all tarballs of GNU gettext
> were made with --format=ustar. I have tested them on all possible platforms,
> from HP-UX 11 to IRIX 6.5, from AIX 7 to NetBSD, and not encountered a
> problem — nor received a complaint or bug report because of it.
>
> So, from my point of view, we can ask the Automake team to adopt
> --format=ustar now.

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