Re: -I change to -j is not good

[Paul Eggert]

> From: Bdale Garbee <address@hidden>
> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 16:14:18 -0700
> 
> I was startled by the tar argument change from -I to -j for bzip2
> support in 1.13.18, and others are too.  What motivated the change?

Compatibility with Solaris tar.  This was mentioned in the NEWS file.
(Sun nabbed -I before we did.  :-)

> Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2000 17:08:12 -0500
> From: Ben Collins <address@hidden>
> 
> Uh, can you remove the -I alias to -T and make it an alias to -j?
> I can't count the number of things in the system that depends on -I
> working as expected.

Which system are you referring to?  That use of -I was not portable.

Only test versions of GNU tar had -I as an alias for --bzip2.  Testing
revealed the incompatibility with Solaris tar, so the -I was changed
to -j in later test versions.  If you use a test feature, you have to
be prepared for it to change before an official version comes out.

If you want to be portable to past versions of GNU tar, you can use
the option "--use-compress-program=bzip2".  That works with all
versions of GNU tar ever since that feature was added (GNU tar version
1.11.2, released 1993).