(tar)Stability

Rewriting

Support

Support

Stability of GNU `tar'
----------------------

   User reports mainly fall in three categories: portability problems,
execution bugs, and requests for enhancements.  For 1.11.X, the
emphasis has been on solving portability problems, then trying to make
GNU `tar' more solid.  Enhancements have fairly low priority, yet I
sometime slip one in just for taking a kind of rest :-).

   Many bugs have been corrected since 1.11.2.  If you are curious,
glance through ChangeLog.  I had only very few reports for things that
*might* be new bugs not present in 1.11.2.  If you are really curious,
and have access to the FSF machines, see `/gd/gnu/tar/rmail/' hierarchy
for all reports.  Subdirectories `0', `1', `2' and `3' represent
decreasing levels in priority.  Most problems in there were reported
against 1.10, 1.11 or 1.11.2 and still exist.  The only thing I have
consciously broken between 1.11.2 and 1.11.5 is `--record-number'
(`-R'), because I wanted some modification to be done to
`gnulib/error.c', which is outside my control.  This modification is
now done, but I did not revisit this area yet.

   Here is my candid opinion.  GNU `tar' has many areas of
unreliability.  See `BACKLOG' for the horrorful picture of the
situation.  Yet, for most users and usages, GNU `tar' looks very
dependable.  For me as a mere user, GNU `tar' did not give problems in
years.  And I think it offers a lot of functionality.  Many problems
have been solved since 1.11.2, even if true that many more remain to be
solved.  I'm not discouraged myself and feel positive about maintaining
it, simply because when I bite, that usually lasts for quite long.  I
might not have all the time I would want, but I surely have good will
and am happily surrounded by many collaborating pretesters.  So, I
still think GNU `tar' is on the winning side in the long run.