aetar(1) aetar(1) NNAAMMEE aetar - remotely distribute a change via tar SSYYNNOOPPSSIISS aaeettaarr --SSeenndd [ _o_p_t_i_o_n... ] aaeettaarr --RReecceeiivvee [ _o_p_t_i_o_n... ] aaeettaarr --LLiisstt [ _o_p_t_i_o_n... ] aaeettaarr --HHeellpp aaeettaarr --VVEERRSSiioonn DDEESSCCRRIIPPTTIIOONN The _a_e_t_a_r command is used to send and receive change sets via _t_a_r(1) to facilitate geographically distributed development. The basic function is to reproduce a change, so a command like aetar -send | aetar -receive may be used to clone a change, though less efficiently than _a_e_c_l_o_n_e(1). The file format used is an ordinary _g_z_i_p(1) compressed _t_a_r(1) archive. SSEENNDD The send variant takes a specified change, or baseline, and constructs a distribution package containing all of the source file contents. No change meta-data is included. It is not necessary for the recipient to have the _a_e_t_a_r(1) command. It is possible to use the regular _t_a_r _x_z_f command to extract the files from the archive. OOppttiioonnss The following options are understood by the send variant: --BBaasseeLLiinnee This option may be used to specify the source of a project, rather than a change. --AAdddd__PPaatthh__PPrreeffiixx _s_t_r_i_n_g This option may be used to specify a path prefix to be added to every filename in the archive. This means that when the archive is unpacked, it will all be placed in the one direc- tory. --CChhaannggee _n_u_m_b_e_r This option may be used to specify a particular change within a project. See _a_e_g_i_s(1) for a complete description of this option. --CCOOMMPPAATTiibbiilliittyy _v_e_r_s_i_o_n_-_n_u_m_b_e_r This option may be used to specify the version of _a_e_t_a_r(1) which will be _r_e_c_e_i_v_i_n_g this change set. This information is used to select which features to include in the data, and which to omit. By default, the latest feature set will be used. --ccoommpprreessssiioonn--aallggoorriitthhmm _n_a_m_e This option may be used to specify the compression to be used. They are listed on order of compression effeciency. none Use no compression (not always meaningful for all com- mands). gzip Use the compression used by the _g_z_i_p(1) program. bzip2 Use the compression used by the _b_z_i_p_2(1) program. More compression algorithms may be added in the future. --CCOOMMPPrreessss This option is deprecated in favour of the --ccoommpp--aallgg==ggzziipp or --ccoommpp--aallgg==bbzziipp22 options. --NNoo__CCOOMMPPrreessss This options is deprecated in favour of the --ccoommpp--aallgg==nnoonnee option. --DDEELLttaa _n_u_m_b_e_r This option may be used to specify a particular delta in the project's history to copy the file from, rather than the most current version. If the delta has been given a name (see _a_e_d_n(1) for how) you may use a delta name instead of a delta number. It is an error if the delta specified does not exist. Delta numbers start from 1 and increase; delta 0 is a special case meaning "when the branch started". --DDEELLttaa__DDaattee _s_t_r_i_n_g This option may be used to specify a particular date and time in the project's history to copy the file from, rather than the most current version. It is an error if the string speci- fied cannot be interpreted as a valid date and time. Quote the string if you need to use spaces. --DDEELLttaa__FFrroomm__CChhaannggee _n_u_m_b_e_r This option may be used to specify a particular project delta from its change number. --EEnnttiirree__SSoouurrccee This option may be used to send the entire source of the project, as well as the change source files. This is the default. --PPaarrttiiaall__SSoouurrccee This option may be used to send only source files of a change. --IInncclluuddee__BBuuiilldd This option may be used to send also build files. --NNoott__IInncclluuddee__BBuuiilldd This option may be used to send only source (source, test, config but not build) files. This is the default. --OOuuttppuutt _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e This option may be used to specify the output file. The out- put is sent to the standard output by default. --PPrroojjeecctt _n_a_m_e This option may be used to select the project of interest. When no --PPrroojjeecctt option is specified, the _A_E_G_I_S___P_R_O_J_E_C_T envi- ronment variable is consulted. If that does not exist, the user's _$_H_O_M_E_/_._a_e_g_i_s_r_c file is examined for a default project field (see _a_e_u_c_o_n_f(5) for more information). If that does not exist, when the user is only working on changes within a sin- gle project, the project name defaults to that project. Oth- erwise, it is an error. RREECCEEIIVVEE The receive variant takes a tarball and creates an Aegis change (see _a_e_n_c(1)) to implement the change within. Files are added to the change (see _a_e_n_f(1), _a_e_c_p(1), _a_e_r_m(1), _a_e_n_t(1)) and then the file con- tents are unpackaged into the development directory. It is not necessary for the sender to have the _a_e_t_a_r(1) command. It is possible to use the regular _t_a_r _c_z_f command to create the the tar- ball. You may want to use the _t_a_r_d_y(1) command to manipulate the filenames before extraction. FFiillee NNaammeess It is common for tar files generated to distribute open source projects to contain a path prefix. --RReemmoovvee__PPaatthh__PPrreeffiixx _s_t_r_i_n_g This option may be used to explicitly specify path prefixes to be removed, if present. It may be specified more than once. --RReemmoovvee__PPaatthh__PPrreeffiixx _n_u_m_b_e_r Strip the smallest prefix containing num leading slashes from each file name found in the patch file. A sequence of one or more adjacent slashes is counted as a single slash. If you have a complex project directory structure, from time to time people may send you tarballs relative to a sub-directory, rather than relative to the project root. --AAdddd__PPaatthh__PPrreeffiixx _s_t_r_i_n_g This option may be used to specify the path of a project sub- directory in which to apply the tarball. NNoottiiffiiccaattiioonn The _a_e_t_a_r command invokes various other Aegis commands. The usual notifications that these commands would issue are issued. OOppttiioonnss The following options are understood by the receive variant: --CChhaannggee _n_u_m_b_e_r This option may be used to choose the change number to be used, otherwise one will be chosen automatically. --DDEELLttaa _n_u_m_b_e_r This option may be used to specify a particular delta in the project's history to copy the file from, just as for the _a_e_c_p(1) command. You may also use a delta name instead of a delta number. --DDIIRReeccttoorryy _p_a_t_h This option may be used to specify which directory is to be used. It is an error if the current user does not have appro- priate permissions to create the directory path given. This must be an absolute path. Caution: If you are using an automounter do not use `pwd` to make an absolute path, it usually gives the wrong answer. --EEXXCCLLuuddee This option may be used to exclude certain files in the tar- ball from consideration. You can also add more exclusions using the _p_r_o_j_e_c_t___s_p_e_c_i_f_i_c field of the project configuration, using the aetar:exclude attribute listing file names to exclude separated by spaces. --EExxcclluuddee__AAuuttoo__TToooollss This option may be used to exclude files common to tarballs of open source projects which used GNU Autoconf or GNU Automake. This is triggered by the presence of _c_o_n_f_i_g_u_r_e_._a_c, _c_o_n_f_i_g_- _u_r_e_._i_n or _M_a_k_e_f_i_l_e_._a_m files. This only works for simple projects, more complex projects will need to use the project exclude attributes. You can set this automatically using the boolean aetar:exclude-auto-tools attribute in the _p_r_o_j_e_c_t___s_p_e_c_i_f_i_c field of the project configuration file. --EExxcclluuddee__CCVVSS This option may be used to exclude files common to CVS reposi- tories, which implement the repository functions, rather than contain source code. It will also look inside .cvsignore files for additional files to ignore. You can set this automatically using the boolean aetar:exclude-cvs attribute in the _p_r_o_j_e_c_t___s_p_e_c_i_f_i_c field of the project configuration file. --FFiillee _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e Read the change set from the specified file. The default is to read it from the standard input. The filename `-' is understood to mean the standard input. If your system has _l_i_b_c_u_r_l(3), and Aegis was configured to use it at compile time (this is the default if it is available) you will also be able to specify a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in place of the file name. The relevant data will be downloaded. (The --VVeerrbboossee option will provide a progress bar.) --PPrroojjeecctt _n_a_m_e This option may be used to select the project of interest. When no --PPrroojjeecctt option is specified, the _A_E_G_I_S___P_R_O_J_E_C_T envi- ronment variable is consulted. If that does not exist, the user's _$_H_O_M_E_/_._a_e_g_i_s_r_c file is examined for a default project field (see _a_e_u_c_o_n_f(5) for more information). If that does not exist, when the user is only working on changes within a sin- gle project, the project name defaults to that project. Oth- erwise, it is an error. --TTrroojjaann This option may be used to treat the change set as if it had a Trojan horse attack in it. --NNoo__TTrroojjaann This option may be used to treat the change set as if it defi- nitely does not have a Trojan horse attack in it. _U_s_e _w_i_t_h _e_x_t_r_e_m_e _c_a_r_e_. You need to have authenticated the message with something like PGP first aanndd know the the author well. SSeeccuurriittyy Downloading a tarball and automatically committing it to the baseline without checking it would be a recipe for disaster. A number of safe- guards are provided: +o The file sare unpacked into a new change. You need to edit the change description. You need to uncopy unchanged files. You need to difference the change. You need to build and test the change. This ensures that a local reviewer validates the change before it is committed, preventing accidental or malicious damage. +o The use of authentication and encryption systems, such as PGP and GPG, are encouraged. However, it is expected that this processing will occur after _a_e_t_a_r _-_s_e_n_d has constructed the package and before _a_e_t_a_r _-_r_e_c_e_i_v_e examines and acts on the package. Verification of the sender is the surest defense against trojan horses. +o Automatic sending and receiving of packages is supported, but not implemented within the aetar command. It is expected that the aetar command will be used within shell scripts customized for your site and its unique security requirements. See the Aegis User Guide for several different ways to do this. +o The more you use Aegis' test management facilities (see _a_e_n_t(1) and _a_e_t(1)) the harder it is for an inadequate change to get into the baseline. LLIISSTT The list variant can be used to list the contents of a tarball without actually unpacking it first. OOppttiioonnss The following options are understood by the list variant: --FFiillee _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e Read the change set from the specified file. The default is to read it from the standard input. The filename `-' is understood to mean the standard input. If your system has _l_i_b_c_u_r_l(3), and Aegis was configured to use it at compile time (this is the default if it is available) you will also be able to specify a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in place of the file name. The relevant data will be downloaded. (The --VVeerrbboossee option will provide a progress bar.) --OOuuttppuutt _f_i_l_e_n_a_m_e This option may be used to specify the output file. The out- put is sent to the standard output by default. Only useful with the -List option. OOPPTTIIOONNSS The following options to this command haven't been mentioned yet: --HHeellpp This option may be used to obtain more information about how to use the _a_e_t_a_r program. See also _a_e_g_i_s(1) for options common to all aegis commands. All options may be abbreviated; the abbreviation is documented as the upper case letters, all lower case letters and underscores (_) are optional. You must use consecutive sequences of optional letters. All options are case insensitive, you may type them in upper case or lower case or a combination of both, case is not important. For example: the arguments "-project", "-PROJ" and "-p" are all inter- preted to mean the --PPrroojjeecctt option. The argument "-prj" will not be understood, because consecutive optional characters were not supplied. Options and other command line arguments may be mixed arbitrarily on the command line, after the function selectors. The GNU long option names are understood. Since all option names for _a_e_t_a_r are long, this means ignoring the extra leading '-'. The "----_o_p_t_i_o_n==_v_a_l_u_e" convention is also understood. FFIILLEE FFOORRMMAATT The file format re-uses existing formats, rather than introduce any- thing new. This means it is possible to extract the contents of a package even when aetar is unavailable. +o The source files and other information is stored as a normal Unix _t_a_r(1) archive. +o On sending, the tarball is compressed using the GNU gzip format. Typically primary source files are ASCII text, resulting in signifi- cant compression. (This is optional.) On receiving, if the tarball is compressed it will be automagically uncompressed, detection is automatic, you do not need to do this yourself. EEXXIITT SSTTAATTUUSS The _a_e_t_a_r command will exit with a status of 1 on any error. The _a_e_t_a_r command will only exit with a status of 0 if there are no errors. EENNVVIIRROONNMMEENNTT VVAARRIIAABBLLEESS See _a_e_g_i_s(1) for a list of environment variables which may affect this command. See _a_e_p_c_o_n_f(5) for the project configuration file's _p_r_o_j_e_c_t___s_p_e_c_i_f_i_c field for how to set environment variables for all commands executed by Aegis. CCOOPPYYRRIIGGHHTT aetar version 4.25.D611 Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Peter Miller The aetar program comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY; for details use the '_a_e_t_a_r _-_V_E_R_S_i_o_n _L_i_c_e_n_s_e' command. This is free software and you are welcome to redistribute it under certain conditions; for details use the '_a_e_t_a_r _-_V_E_R_S_i_o_n _L_i_c_e_n_s_e' command. AAUUTTHHOORR Peter Miller E-Mail: pmiller@opensource.org.au /\/\* WWW: http://miller.emu.id.au/pmiller/ Reference Manual Aegis aetar(1)