Package: bsdtar (1.2.53-2etch1)

tar(1) from FreeBSD, using libarchive

The bsdtar program has a number of advantages over previous tar implementations:

 * Library. Since the core functionality is in a library, it can be
   used by other tools, such as pkg_add.

 * Automatic format detection. Libarchive automatically detects the
   compression (none/gzip/bzip2) and format (old tar, ustar, gnutar,
   pax, cpio, iso9660, zip) when reading archives. It does this for
   any data source.

 * Pax Interchange Format Support. This is a POSIX/SUSv3 extension to
   the old "ustar" tar format that adds arbitrary extended attributes
   to each entry. Does everything that GNU tar format does, only
   better.

 * Handles file flags, ACLs, arbitrary pathnames, etc. Pax interchange
   format supports key/value attributes using an easily-extensible
   technique. Arbitrary pathnames, group names, user names, file sizes
   are part of the POSIX standard; libarchive extends this with
   support for file flags, ACLs, and arbitrary device numbers.

 * GNU tar support. Libarchive reads most GNU tar archives. If there
   is demand, this can be improved further.

Tags: System Administration: Backup and Restoration, File Distribution, Software Development: Packaging, User Interface: Command Line, Role: Program, Scope: Utility, Purpose: Storing, Works with: Archive, Files, Supports Format: Tar Archives