Bug 97059
| Summary: | pax(1): -b option description could be flawed | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product: | Documentation | Reporter: | Coleman Kane <cokane> |
| Component: | Books & Articles | Assignee: | Coleman Kane <cokane> |
| Status: | Closed FIXED | ||
| Severity: | Affects Only Me | ||
| Priority: | Normal | ||
| Version: | Latest | ||
| Hardware: | Any | ||
| OS: | Any | ||
> The pax(1) manpage states the following for the -b flag: > > -b blocksize > When writing an archive, block the output at a positive > decimal integer number of bytes per write to the archive > file. The blocksize must be a multiple of 512 bytes with > a maximum of 64512 bytes. Archives larger than 32256 > bytes violate the POSIX standard and will not be portable > to all systems. A blocksize can end with k or b to > specify multiplication by 1024 (1K) or 512, respectively. > A pair of blocksizes can be separated by x to indicate a > product. A specific archive device may impose additional > restrictions on the size of blocking it will support. > When blocking is not specified, the default blocksize is > dependent on the specific archive format being used (see > the -x option). > > Specifically, the statement: > > Archives larger than 32256 bytes violate the POSIX > standard > > This could be worded better as: > > Archive block sizes larger than 32256 bytes violate the > POSIX standard > > This sounds more like what the author might have meant. True. Limiting the _full_ archive size to 32KB is contradictory with the previous sentence about 64512 bytes, and would render pax(1) pretty useless anyway. Feel free to make the manpage change, or let me know and I'll do it. On Wed, May 10, 2006 at 11:04:14PM +0300, Giorgos Keramidas wrote, and it was proclaimed:
> > The pax(1) manpage states the following for the -b flag:
> >
> > -b blocksize
> > When writing an archive, block the output at a positive
> > decimal integer number of bytes per write to the archive
> > file. The blocksize must be a multiple of 512 bytes with
> > a maximum of 64512 bytes. Archives larger than 32256
> > bytes violate the POSIX standard and will not be portable
> > to all systems. A blocksize can end with k or b to
> > specify multiplication by 1024 (1K) or 512, respectively.
> > A pair of blocksizes can be separated by x to indicate a
> > product. A specific archive device may impose additional
> > restrictions on the size of blocking it will support.
> > When blocking is not specified, the default blocksize is
> > dependent on the specific archive format being used (see
> > the -x option).
> >
> > Specifically, the statement:
> >
> > Archives larger than 32256 bytes violate the POSIX
> > standard
> >
> > This could be worded better as:
> >
> > Archive block sizes larger than 32256 bytes violate the
> > POSIX standard
> >
> > This sounds more like what the author might have meant.
>
> True. Limiting the _full_ archive size to 32KB is contradictory
> with the previous sentence about 64512 bytes, and would render
> pax(1) pretty useless anyway.
>
> Feel free to make the manpage change, or let me know and I'll do it.
>
I'll tackle it.
State Changed From-To: open->patched This has been fixed in HEAD. Responsible Changed From-To: freebsd-doc->cokane Assign this PR in `patched' state to cokane, as an MFC reminder. State Changed From-To: patched->closed The change has been MFC'd |
The pax(1) manpage states the following for the -b flag: -b blocksize When writing an archive, block the output at a positive decimal integer number of bytes per write to the archive file. The blocksize must be a multiple of 512 bytes with a maximum of 64512 bytes. Archives larger than 32256 bytes violate the POSIX standard and will not be portable to all systems. A blocksize can end with k or b to specify multiplication by 1024 (1K) or 512, respectively. A pair of blocksizes can be separated by x to indicate a product. A specific archive device may impose additional restrictions on the size of blocking it will support. When blocking is not specified, the default blocksize is dependent on the specific archive format being used (see the -x option). Specifically, the statement: Archives larger than 32256 bytes violate the POSIX standard This could be worded better as: Archive block sizes larger than 32256 bytes violate the POSIX standard This sounds more like what the author might have meant. However, searching around on the internet has yielded 32256 as being the enforced maximum by POSIX, while 10240 is described as the "compatibility maximum". Fix: Rewrite: "Archives larger than 32256 bytes violate the POSIX standard" to say: "Archive block sizes larger than 32256 bytes violate the POSIX standard" How-To-Repeat: man pax