Subject: Re: ftp and tar annoyances
To: None <simonb@telstra.com.au>
From: None <Havard.Eidnes@runit.sintef.no>
List: current-users
Date: 11/14/1997 11:33:37
> I always use "tar xvpfz filename.tar.gz" to extract gzip'd tar files,
> and I've never had a problem.  I personally have never understood why
> people have bothered with the unneeded "-" and the hassle that goes with
> it :-)

Yes, usually I do this too.  However, as soon as you add "--unlink"
(which doesn't have a single-letter equivalent, and which is usually
required when unpacking a snapshot) to the set of options to GNU
tar, I think it will insist that you add a single hyphen in front of
the other options as well, and as explained, this introduces a new
requirement on the ordering of the options in this "bundle".

The man page for tar actually says

    Note that you cannot mix bundled flags and --style flags; [...]

Though I'm not sure "-xpzvf" could be characterized as a "bundle"
(maybe not?).

Yes, I think it is sort of counter-intuitive that in the case of
"-xpzvf" order matters, while in "xpzvf" it doesn't.

- H=E5vard