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Fix --xattr-include='*' documentation

* doc/tar.texi (Extended File Attributes): The default extraction
pattern consists of just 'user.*' namespace only.  While on it, try
to explain the reasons for this default behavior.
Pavel Raiskup 2 years ago
parent
commit
06805b9281
1 changed files with 13 additions and 4 deletions
  1. 13 4
      doc/tar.texi

+ 13 - 4
doc/tar.texi

@@ -5777,10 +5777,15 @@ Disable extended attributes support.  This is the default.
 
 
 Attribute names are strings prefixed by a @dfn{namespace} name and a dot.
 Attribute names are strings prefixed by a @dfn{namespace} name and a dot.
 Currently, four namespaces exist: @samp{user}, @samp{trusted},
 Currently, four namespaces exist: @samp{user}, @samp{trusted},
-@samp{security} and @samp{system}.  By default, when @option{--xattr}
-is used, all names are stored in the archive (or extracted, if using
-@option{--extract}).  This can be controlled using the following
-options:
+@samp{security} and @samp{system}.  By default, when @option{--xattrs}
+is used, all names are stored in the archive (with @option{--create}),
+but only @samp{user} namespace is extracted (if using @option{--extract}).
+The reason for this behavior is that any other, system defined attributes
+don't provide us sufficient compatibility promise.  Storing all attributes
+is safe operation for the archiving purposes.  Though extracting those
+(often security related) attributes on a different system than originally
+archived can lead to extraction failures, or even misinterpretations.
+This behavior can be controlled using the following options:
 
 
 @table @option
 @table @option
 @item --xattrs-exclude=@var{pattern}
 @item --xattrs-exclude=@var{pattern}
@@ -5800,6 +5805,10 @@ $ @kbd{tar --xattrs --xattrs-exclude='user.*' -cf a.tar .}
 will include in the archive @file{a.tar} all attributes, except those
 will include in the archive @file{a.tar} all attributes, except those
 from the @samp{user} namespace.
 from the @samp{user} namespace.
 
 
+Users shall check the attributes are binary compatible with the target system
+before any other namespace is extracted with an explicit
+@option{--xattrs-include} option.
+
 Any number of these options can be given, thereby creating lists of
 Any number of these options can be given, thereby creating lists of
 include and exclude patterns.
 include and exclude patterns.