@april OUCH! What a violent learning! 😰😭

@april 😱

@april I’m going to keep using `-a` (which detects which compression algorithm to use when creating based on file extension) and keep my extract and create commands symmetric

@april
what the fuck goddamn it

@april who does -xvzf and not "eXtract Ze Vucking File"
Or even -xf because -v isn't required either

@april @laser do i want to be the one to tell you that you don't need the '-' either…

@april yeah this really reveals my age. back in 2004 I was actually working with tape servers, and mostly occupied with spotting differences between BSD tar and GNU tar.

so I completely missed all of this. in fact, I just made a mental note that other day to start using -a but not even that is necessary anymore.

@april @mekkaokereke Wait does that mean I've been wasting my time looking up the bzip2 flag every ti OH GOD DAMNIT

@april wait, what??? How am I just finding this out too? I seem to have missed the (cue appropriately dating my age) memo.

@april I still put it as a treat for tar, it'll feel lonely if it doesn't get the z. I've always used tar zxvf

@april I don't care, I have plenty of z's to use.

@april I've known it's not needed for years, and I still use it. Muscle memory means it takes less time to type it than to not type it

@april......... Say what?

@april what is that witchery!?

@april sorry wat

@april you want to know the really messed up thing? The dash is optional too.

@april oof

@april
Since *when*?! Aw, man...

@april
The "-" is also unnecessary. Just "tar xf " is enough.

@april It's necessary for moral reasons.

@april
Wot? Huh. I guess I won't get used to that.

@april only if your using gnu tar. Which AIX is not. 🥲

@april And the “-“ isn’t needed either.

@april I'm reminded of neo getting plugged back into the matrix, after he struggled mightily against the new cursed knowledge, immediately puked.

Then I realized this reference was as old or older than this mad revelation. how dare you

@april
Darth_Vader_no.gifv

@april Makes me realize that I was using tar almost 20 years before that change. Wow, I'm old🙂

@april and???? I have been using that command since at least the early 90s. Sue me.

@april @Powareverb WHAAAAATTTTTTTT?!??!??!! <grinds teeth to dust then keeps grinding for another decade>

I would say that you do not need that "-" too ;P

@april

@april Neither is the -.

@april @lukasa “hasn’t been needed” only by some very narrow definition of “needed”

@april I first encountered the `tar` command in 1991, and until this very moment, believed the `z` was still necessary. I had no idea it wasn’t needed any more. 😮️ I’m sure I’ll still type it, because it’s just muscle memory now.

@april @fraggle I feel like I accidentally discovered this 2 years ago and refused to accept it.

@april I've known that for ages, but muscle memory means it still gets added.

@april old feeling making

@april I a) I didn’t know that b) I will still use it. ;)

@april @mhoye what

@april the Universe is God, it enabled you to say that. After Trillions of Years.

@april Heretic.

@april the problem is that not all tar's are gnu.

@april@macaw.social you don't even need the dash.

tar xf filename

is all that's needed for all but the most ancient GNU or BSD tars.

@april @rooster Does that mean you fail xkcd 1168?

@april I don't even - what

@april Wait. What? Seriously?

@april Wait, *2004*??? I knew you didn't need it now but though that was like a couple years ago. But I guess when I was using it All The Dang Time was back in the 90s so old habits die hard

@april seriously?! First off, I am an IT professional specializing in Linux for over 15 years now and I didn’t know this. Also, I feel really old because of this news.

@april The only time you still need z/j/J is when you pipe something to tar.

@april Well, but, it's not like I'm going to memorise a *different* tar command line.

@april wait.

I was having a good day until I saw this. 🤦‍♂️