Default tar for 1.3 and later

[Hummel Tom]

You can choose the output format. If you want ustar, you get ustar with
the path limit and the ability to use almost any tar out there.
You cannot do that with GNU tar. You know the typical recommendation?
Install GNU tar! Just because GNU tar is unmaintained and they never
fully implementation the portable archive format (just an early draft).
GNUtar can produce ustar files by using: 
--format={gnu;oldgnu;v7;ustar;posix}
The problem with Gnu tar seems it's use of extensions kept for future 
improvement in POSIX.1-1988 tar, which later where used differently in 
the following POSIX description.
I don't know about the details but POSIX could have adopted the GNU 
changes, which where perfecty legal because of their prior description.

What I would blame GNU for, is the war they are participating in, and 
trying to make all people use their extensions, by keeping back POSIX as 
default option.

Well, I consider GNU tar kind of unexpected too :) BTW, we are the only
BSD still using GNU tar (FreeBSD moved to BSD tar, Net and Open are using
the pax frontend).
is this:
http://mail-index.netbsd.org/netbsd-bugs/2003/12/16/0007.html
solved?
IMHO NetBSD pax isn't the perfect solution, BSD tar is ok for me.
tom