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

[Karl Berry]

    > As I understand the GNU Coding Standards[1], they refer to sending text
    > output to a device
    > [1] http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/html_node/User-Interfaces.html

I see nothing in that section that explicitly says "text" output.

However, I tend to agree that sending tar, compressed, or other such
binary-by-definition files to a terminal is never useful.  Does someone
have an argument that it is useful?

gzip has rejected writing to a terminal for ages.  As a user, I can say
I have always appreciated that behavior, i.e., I forgot to redirect the
output and I am glad that my terminal/emacs didn't get clobbered by a
bunch of binary junk.

karl