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From: dricej@drilex.UUCP (Craig Jackson)
Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards,net.bugs.usg
Subject: Re: Some thoughts on enhancing cpio(1)
Message-ID: <109@drilex.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-Apr-86 18:25:56 EST
Article-I.D.: drilex.109
Posted: Fri Apr  4 18:25:56 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 9-Apr-86 06:42:49 EST
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Summary: What is really needed is byteswapping in the headers


Sam @ Deflt Consulting Corporation recently proposed several enhancements
to cpio(1).  I think that is a very interesting area of discussion.
I'm not sure where it leads, but it can at least be useful for persons
modifying a system or doing a port.

Sam left out the one change that we have found that we needed the most: byte
swapping the headers.  We have gotten cpio tapes from VAXes that we could
not read on our big-endian 68000 and Z8000 machines.  We ended up adding
a -h option to cpio, but ideally it would be done automatically, upon
detecting a swapped magic number.

The various byteswapping options which are present today are of limited 
utility if you can't read the header.  The -c option solves this problem, but
only if the person who made the tape thought to use it.

-- 
Craig
UUCP: {harvard,linus}!axiom!drilex!dricej
BIX:  cjackson