NAME

streamarchive - StreamArchive file format

DESCRIPTION

StreamArchive typed archives are a series of keyword and value records that are similar to content of the POSIX.1-2001 extended headers called TAR (PAX) HEADERs, based on a proposal from Sun Microsystems from 1997.

A new file always begins with the path keyword and after the mandatory size keyword, file content may follow. Each file record is terminated by a status keyword.

An archive begins with an archtype=StreamArchive record and ends with a status=EOF record.

The archive meta data do not add non-printable characters. If the file names in the archive are only made from ASCII characters and if the archive only contains files with ASCII content, the whole archive contains only ASCII content.

HEADER FORMAT

The header records use the following format:

Each record starts with a a decimal length field. The length includes the total size of a record including the length field itself and the trailing new line.

The keyword may not include an equal sign. All keywords beginning with upper case letters are reserved for local extensions.

If the value field is of zero length, it deletes any header field of the same name that is in effect from the same extended header or from a previous global header.

Null characters do not delimit any value. The data used for value is only limited by its implicit length.

HEADER KEYWORDS

All numerical values are represented as decimal strings. All texts are represented as UTF-8 or an unspecified binary format (see hdrcharset keyword) that is expected to be understood by the receiving system:

atime

The time from st_atime in sub second granularity. A nanosecond granularity is currently supported.

charset

The name of the character set used to encode the data in the following file(s).

comment

Any number of characters that  should be treated as comment. The comment is ignored.

ctime

The time from st_ctime in sub second granularity. A nanosecond granularity is currently supported.

dev

The device id from st_dev of the file as decimal number.

The value is a signed int. An implementation should be able to handle at least 64 bit values. Note that the value is signed because POSIX does not specify more than the type should be an int.

devmajor

The device major number of the file if it is a character or block special file. The argument is a decimal number.

The value is a signed int. An implementation should be able to handle at least 64 bit values. Note that the value is signed because POSIX does not specify more than the type should be an int.

devminor

The device minor number of the file if it is a character or block special file. The argument is a decimal number.

The value is a signed int. An implementation should be able to handle at least 64 bit values. Note that the value is signed because POSIX does not specify more than the type should be an int.

filetype

A textual version of the real file type of the file. The following names are used:

arfiletype

The following additional file types are used in arfiletype:

fsdevmajor

The device major number of the file (from st_dev) as a decimal number.

The value is a signed int. An implementation should be able to handle at least 64 bit values. Note that the value is signed because POSIX does not specify more than the type should be an int.

fsdevminor

The device minor number of the file (from st_dev). as a decimal number.

The value is a signed int. An implementation should be able to handle at least 64 bit values. Note that the value is signed because POSIX does not specify more than the type should be an int.

gid

The group ID of the group that owns the file. The argument is a decimal number.

gname

The group name of the following file(s) coded in UTF-8 or (if the hdrcharset keyword is present) coded to fit the charset value.

hdrcharset

The name of the character set used to encode the data for the gname, linkpath, path and uname fields in the POSIX.1-2001 extended header records.

ino

The inode number from st_ino of the file as decimal number.

The value is an unsigned int. An implementation should be able to handle at least 64 bit unsigned values.

linkpath

The name of the linkpath coded in UTF-8 or (if the hdrcharset keyword is present) coded to fit the charset value.

mtime

The time from st_mtime in sub second granularity. A nanosecond granularity is currently supported.

nlink

The link count of the file as decimal number.

The value is an unsigned int. An implementation should be able to handle at least 32 bit unsigned values.

path

The name of the path coded in UTF-8 or (if the hdrcharset keyword is present) coded to fit the charset value.

size

The size of the file as decimal number. The size keyword may not refer to the real file size but is related to the size if the file in the archive.

status

The status keyword appears after file data and is used to signal whether the last file has been transferred correctly. The first status keyword that appears after file data, has a number as parameter. If this number is equal to 0, then the file data has been successfully transferred into the archive. If this number is non-zero, it is the errno from the creating system.

In addition, each archive is terminated by a status keyword with the argument EOF to singal the end of the archive.

uid

The uid ID of the group that owns the file. The argument is a decimal number.

uname

The user name of the following file(s) coded in UTF-8 or (if the hdrcharset keyword is present) coded to fit the charset value.

VENDOR.keyword

Any keyword that starts with a vendor name in capital letters is reserved for vendor specific extensions by the standard.

SEE ALSO

star(5).

BUGS

None currently known.

Mail bugs and suggestions to schilytools@mlists.in-berlin.de or open a ticket at https://codeberg.org/schilytools/schilytools/issues.

The mailing list archive may be found at:

https://mlists.in-berlin.de/mailman/listinfo/schilytools-mlists.in-berlin.de.

AUTHORS

Joerg Schilling and the schilytools project authors.