Re: WWW processing of tar files
timbl@dxcern.cern.ch (Tim Berners-Lee)
Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1993 17:14:24 +0100
From: timbl@dxcern.cern.ch (Tim Berners-Lee)
Message-id: <9303121614.AA07452@dxcern.cern.ch>
To: ccprl@xdm001.ccc.cranfield.ac.uk, www-talk@nxoc01.cern.ch
Subject: Re: WWW processing of tar files
This sounds fairly simple. The question is, at which point should
the unpacking be done? If the server simply presents the whole
file as a directory tree, then the client will never get the whole
tar file in one. But if the whole tar file is shipped over as a
lump, then looking at the first README is expensive.
How about both? Suppose anz directorz which has an xxx.tar[.Z]
in it is visible as both xxx.tar.Z for capture and also as
a plain virtual directorz xxx for browsing?
The new librarz uses the same code for the server as for the client, so
having written one the other way will come free. I gets its just
a popen("zcat xxx.tar.Z | tar -tf -") ... can tar produce a
subdirectorz listing? hmmm... shouldn't be a problem.
Sorry about the zy interchanges ... funnz kezboard lazout...
Swiss people will be able to read it, anzwaz! :-)
Tim