Re: [Bug-tar] [patch v3] Bug / question in tar

[Pavel Raiskup]

On Tuesday 25 of March 2014 22:51:11 Karl Berry wrote:
> rms is ok with the exception for binary output to the terminal, and
> wants this text:
>
>     There is an exception for programs whose output in certain cases is
>     binary data.  Sending such output to a terminal is useless and can
>     cause trouble.  If such a program normally sends its output to
>     stdout, it should detect, in these cases, when the output is a
>     terminal and give an error message instead.  The -f option should
>     override this exception, thus permitting the output to go to the
>     terminal.

Thanks a lot for processing this.  This is kind of philosophical thread
and I recall one thing:  should we take the detection of /dev/null output
as an OK exception?

 tar/src/create.c:
 482   if (dev_null_output)
 483     return totals_option && sparse_option && ST_IS_SPARSE (*st);

Pavel