USTAR archive format

Description

pax uses the USTAR archive format described in the tar file format description. For more information about the tar file format, see tar — Format of tar archives.

An example of the special header summary file:
#00
#IBMOS390_USTAR_VERS=1
#
# Archive Name: /tmp/spec.pax
#
# This file was created by the IBM z/OS pax or tar utility.
# During the process of creating the archive from which this
# file was extracted, one or more of the source files to be
# stored in the archive was determined to have names or
# attributes that are not supported by the standard USTAR
# format (as described by POSIX.2 IEEE std 1003.2-1992).
# To preserve these files or these characteristics,
# one or more special header files (having the same name as
# this file) were inserted into the archive.  Those files
# are recognized by z/OS pax and tar utilities and are
# used during extraction to restore the files to their
# original state.
## The purpose of this file is to summarize the information
# described by all z/OS special header files stored in
# the archive so that users with versions of pax or tar
# that do not support these special header files can
# manually restore some or all of the files and file
# attributes described by them.  Note that some file
# attributes are specific to z/OS and cannot be restored
# on other platforms.
#
# The remainder of this file consists of a set of records
# corresponding to each special header file stored in the
# archive.  Each set consists of a record describing the
# path name, one or more reasons explaining why the file or
# attribute could not be stored, and the UNIX command,
# or commands, that would be used to restore the file or
# attribute.  Note that these commands use the path names
# of the file as they existed when archived and may not
# correspond to the current path names on your system.
## path name: level0/longsymlink
# Reason:   1. FSUMF076 target of symbolic link
("level1/level2/level3/level4/level5/level6/level7/level8/
level9/level10/level11/level12/level13/level14/linkbase")
exceeds 100 chars.
# Unix restore commands:
ln -s level1/level2/level3/level4/level5/level6/level7/
level8/level9/level10/level11/level12/level13/level14/
linkbase level0/longsymlink
#
# path name: level0/level1/level2/level3/level4/level5/
level6/level7/level8/level9/level10/level11/level12/
level13/level14/longhardlink
# Reason:   1. FSUMF076 target of hard link ("level0/level1/
level2/level3/level4/level5/level6/level7/level8/level9/
level10/level11/level12/level13/level14/linkbase")
exceeds 100 chars.
# Unix restore commands: ln level0/level1/level2/level3/
level4/level5/level6/level7/level8/level9/level10/level11/
level12/level13/level14/linkbase level0/level1/level2/
level3/level4/level5/level6/level7/level8/level9/level10/
level11/level12/level13/level14/longhardlink

Portability

POSIX.2, X/Open Portability Guide.

Related information

The cpio, pax, and tar commands.