+GNU tar NEWS - User visible changes.
+Copyright © 1994, 1995-1998, 1999 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+version 1.12.64003 - Paul Eggert, 1999-01-27.
+
+This is an unofficial port of GNU `tar' 1.12 to large file environments
+like Solaris 2.6 and HP-UX 10.20 that rely on integer system
+types longer than `long'. Please send bug reports specific to this
+unofficial version of GNU `tar' to <eggert@twinsun.com>.
+
+This is not intended to be a forked release for GNU tar; it's
+just an interim experimental release, mostly intended for
+large file hosts. The patches of this
+release have all been submitted via the usual channels and
+they should no longer be needed once the next official release
+of GNU tar is out.
+\f
+Version 1.12 - François Pinard, 1997-04.
+
+Sensitive matters
+* Use shell globbing patterns for --label, instead of regular expressions.
+* Do not quote anymore internally over the quoting done by the shell.
+
+Output for humans
+* Offer internationalisation capabilities of most recent GNU gettext.
+* Messages available in many more languages, thanks to all translators!
+* Usage of ISO 8601 dates in listings, instead of local American dates.
+* More normalisation and cleanup in error messages.
+
+Creation
+* For helping using tar with find, offer a --no-recursion option.
+* Implement --numeric-owner for ignoring symbolic names at create time.
+* New --owner, --group --mode options, still preliminary.
+* Recognise creating an archive on /dev/null, so Amanda works faster.
+* Object to the creation of an empty archive (like in `tar cf FILE').
+* Barely start implementing --posix and POSIXLY_CORRECT.
+
+Extraction
+* Make a better job at restoring file and directory attributes.
+* Automatically attempt deleting existing files when in the way.
+* Option --unlink-first (-U) removes most files prior to extraction.
+* Option --recursive-unlink removes non-empty directories when in the way.
+* Option --numeric-owner ignores owner/group names, it uses UID/GID instead.
+* Use global umask when creating missing intermediate directories.
+* When symlinks are not available, extract symbolic links as hard links.
+* Diagnose extraction of contiguous files as regular files.
+* New --backup, --suffix and --version-control options.
+
+Various changes
+* Better support of huge archives with --tape-length and --totals.
+* Rename option --read-full-blocks (-B) to --read-full-records (-B).
+* Rename option --block-size (-b) to --blocking-factor (-b).
+* Rename option --record-number (-R) to --block-number (-R).
+* With --block-number (-R), report null blocks and end of file.
+* Implement --record-size for introducing a size in bytes.
+* Delete --block-compress option and rather decide it automatically.
+* Rename option --modification-time to --touch.
+
+Many bugs are squashed, while others still run free.
+\f
+Version 1.11.8 - François Pinard, 1995-06.
+
+* Messages available in French, German, Portuguese and Swedish.
+* The distribution provides a rudimentary Texinfo manual.
+* The device defaults to stdin/stdout, unless overridden by the installer.
+* Option --sparse (-S) should work on more systems.
+* Option --rsh-command may select an alternative remote shell program.