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From: guy@sun.uucp (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards
Subject: Re: TAR DOES NOT SWAP BYTES
Message-ID: <2858@sun.uucp>
Date: Mon, 7-Oct-85 14:50:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.2858
Posted: Mon Oct  7 14:50:22 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Oct-85 03:56:50 EDT
References: <235@thunder.UUCP> <604@neuro1.UUCP> <2818@sun.uucp> <4653@amdcad.UUCP>
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 19

> If you create a tar 'file' (not tape), and transfer it between systems
> the file will require byte swapping between big-endian and little endian
> machines.  

Gee, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell that to the VAX-11/780 (little-endian,
and running 4.2BSD and a vanilla-except-for-bug-fixes-having-nothing-to-do-
with-byte-swapping "tar") and the CCI Power 5/20s (68000-based, thus big-
endian, and running System III and a vanilla-except-for-bug-fixes-having-
nothing-to-do-with-byte-swapping "tar") at CCI.  We exchanged tar files (not
tapes, since the only transfer medium was RS-232 or Ethernet wires) with NO
byte swapping whatsoever, and were able to read each system's "tar" file on
the other system.

Either 1) the "tar" running on one of the systems you tried it on does its
own byte swapping or 2) you never actually tried it and are just guessing
that it "obviously" must require byte swapping.  In either case, it's not
relevant to the discussion.

	Guy Harris