117
Bonus question: With or without - ?
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 10 Nov 2024
117 points (87.3% liked)
Linuxsucks
172 readers
175 users here now
Shit on Desktop Linux and its evangelists here
No evangelizing for Linux
founded 1 month ago
MODERATORS
"long-standing conventions" is how you end up with Internet Explorer still pre-installed on Windows Server 2025.
And when was the last time you used the tar "tape archiver" to archive things on tape?
Magnetic tapes are still being used as long-term storage, as backups for example. They are inexpensive, compact, have zero moving parts, and are more durable than optical media. All you have to do is keep them in a location that is around room temperature, relatively dry, and away from magnets.
But that's not really what
tardoes. It simply collects the input files and writes them to a single contiguous data stream -- a file not unlike an actual tape. It's worked like that for, I shit you not, 45 years, and it is very much a single project holding up modern technology situation. I fear to imagine what would happen if it were to change.What the fuck zero moving parts? Are you high?
That would be the sticky tape. Also good for long term storage.
You may not have heard this, but tar can be used to work with non-tape archives.
In fact, non-tape archives are the overwhelmingly popular workflow.
Does having to explain the history of a tool to understand why it works that way make it more or less useful?
Neither, but understanding that and the ubiquity of that tool might help understand why it can't simply be changed