1168: tar - Revision history

Unexplainedthing: /* Explanation / no "probably" about it. bomb-defusal is used here as a cliché hypothetical life-or-death situation. and calling it a pun on "Tsar Bomba" makes even less sense; that would only vaguely* work IF the comic actually said "tarbomb"

2025-09-02T07:15:05Z

‎Explanation: no "probably" about it. bomb-defusal is used here as a cliché hypothetical life-or-death situation. and calling it a pun on "Tsar Bomba" makes even less sense; that would only *vaguely* work IF the comic actually said "tarbomb"

162.158.186.70: /* Transcript */ google

2023-10-20T22:22:29Z

‎Transcript: google

172.70.211.136: /* Transcript */ better

2023-02-01T23:32:50Z

‎Transcript: better

172.70.85.200: /* Explanation */ Restoring some sense accidentally lost through someone's editing.

2023-01-25T14:57:39Z

‎Explanation: Restoring some sense accidentally lost through someone's editing.

172.71.210.82: /* Explanation */

2023-01-25T13:10:21Z

‎Explanation

172.71.210.122: Unlikely, especially considering the alt text

2023-01-25T12:59:38Z

Unlikely, especially considering the alt text

172.69.68.29: /* Transcript */

2022-09-07T22:25:37Z

‎Transcript

141.101.99.154: /* Explanation */

2022-09-04T15:42:41Z

‎Explanation

141.101.99.154 at 15:41, 4 September 2022

2022-09-04T15:41:45Z

Jacky720: rv

2022-05-04T21:49:14Z

Show changes

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. [[Randall]] points out the paradox that after 15 years he is still unable to write out a proper tar command from memory, yet at the same time he feels that he shouldn't ''have'' to and a newer, better tool really should have come along already.
-There is probably also a pun on "{{w|tarbomb}}," a poorly created tar archive that, when extracted, dumps a load of files into the current directory that the user has to clean up. And although the bomb looks more like {{w|Fat Man}}, the type of bomb that was used over {{w|Nagasaki}}, at least size-wise, it may also be a pun on the name of the largest ever {{w|hydrogen bomb}} which was called the {{w|Tsar Bomba}} (translation: "emperor bomb").
+One could also interpret the scenario as a pun on "{{w|tarbomb}}," a poorly created tar archive that, when extracted, dumps a load of files into the current directory that the user has to clean up.
 In [[208: Regular Expressions]] [[Cueball]] saves the day by knowing {{w|regular expression}}s, although in the title text it is alluded to how easy these may also miss a character.

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 [[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 [[Category:Comics featuring Rob]]
-[[Category:Computers]]
+[[Category:Google Search]]
 [[Category:Programming]]
 [[Category:Linux]]
 [[Category:Nuclear weapons]]

@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 ==Transcript==
 :[Megan and White Hat stand next to a nuclear bomb. The bomb has a hatch open on top, and a small blinking screen. The two people are shouting off-screen.]
-:Megan: Rob! You use Unix!
+:Megan: Rob!
 :White Hat: Come quick!

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 {{w|Tar (computing)|tar}} ("tape archive") is a {{w|Unix|Unix}} application that creates (and extracts) archives in the ".tar" format. It is typically used through the text-based terminal, using cryptic single-letter arguments such as "<code>tar -cvf archive.tar *</code>". Many Unix executables are distributed via tar archives; as a result tar files would be encountered by Unix users as commonly as Windows users encounter EXE files. Depending on the flavor of Unix, the order of the flags, or the exclusion of the hyphen, could render the command incorrect, which would either throw up an error or worse, cause one to accidentally overwrite or delete important files.
-The comic alludes to the fact that despite it is incredibly hard to remember what the letters stand for without looking them up, such as with Google. The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.
+The comic alludes to the fact that, despite years of use of the command, it is incredibly hard to remember what the letters stand for without looking them up, such as with Google. The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.
 The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. [[Randall]] points out the paradox that after 15 years he is still unable to write out a proper tar command from memory, yet at the same time he feels that he shouldn't ''have'' to and a newer, better tool really should have come along already.

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 ==Explanation==
-{{w|Tar (computing)|tar}} ("tape archive") is a {{w|Unix|Unix}} application that creates (and extracts) archives in the ".tar" format. It is typically used through the text-based terminal, using cryptic single-letter arguments such as "<code>tar -cvf archive.tar *</code>". The comic alludes to the fact that despite years of use of the command, it's still hard to remember the arguments without searching for them, such as with Google.
+{{w|Tar (computing)|tar}} ("tape archive") is a {{w|Unix|Unix}} application that creates (and extracts) archives in the ".tar" format. It is typically used through the text-based terminal, using cryptic single-letter arguments such as "<code>tar -cvf archive.tar *</code>". Many Unix executables are distributed via tar archives; as a result tar files would be encountered by Unix users as commonly as Windows users encounter EXE files. Depending on the flavor of Unix, the order of the flags, or the exclusion of the hyphen, could render the command incorrect, which would either throw up an error or worse, cause one to accidentally overwrite or delete important files.
-The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.
+The comic alludes to the fact that despite it is incredibly hard to remember what the letters stand for without looking them up, such as with Google. The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.
-The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. And yet, [[Randall]] complains he still cannot type out a line of tar command with correct flags without having to look the flags up. Tar is a very common command that Unix users will come across regularly, much like Windows users will come across .zip files. Depending on the flavor of Unix, the order of the flags, or the exclusion of the hyphen could render the command incorrect. Most true Unixes (AIX, HPUX, Solaris) not using the GNU utilities would give an error on the above tar example. For such a simple command, it is one that most people need to look up references to use.
+The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. [[Randall]] points out the paradox that after 15 years he is still unable to write out a proper tar command from memory, yet at the same time he feels that he shouldn't ''have'' to and a newer, better tool really should have come along already.
 There is probably also a pun on "{{w|tarbomb}}," a poorly created tar archive that, when extracted, dumps a load of files into the current directory that the user has to clean up. And although the bomb looks more like {{w|Fat Man}}, the type of bomb that was used over {{w|Nagasaki}}, at least size-wise, it may also be a pun on the name of the largest ever {{w|hydrogen bomb}} which was called the {{w|Tsar Bomba}} (translation: "emperor bomb").

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:59, 25 January 2023
Line 11:		Line 11:

	The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.		The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.
−
−	The fact that [[Megan]] and [[White Hat]] assume that Rob can disarm the {{w\|nuclear bomb}} because he uses Unix can be referring to an over-generalization fallacy that a partaker in a practice is an expert of a practice. Not all people who use Unix necessarily know how to use tar commands. Then again, since he's the only person nearby who knows ''any'' Unix and thus their only hope, their fallacy may be justified.

	The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. And yet, [[Randall]] complains he still cannot type out a line of tar command with correct flags without having to look the flags up. Tar is a very common command that Unix users will come across regularly, much like Windows users will come across .zip files. Depending on the flavor of Unix, the order of the flags, or the exclusion of the hyphen could render the command incorrect. Most true Unixes (AIX, HPUX, Solaris) not using the GNU utilities would give an error on the above tar example. For such a simple command, it is one that most people need to look up references to use.		The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. And yet, [[Randall]] complains he still cannot type out a line of tar command with correct flags without having to look the flags up. Tar is a very common command that Unix users will come across regularly, much like Windows users will come across .zip files. Depending on the flavor of Unix, the order of the flags, or the exclusion of the hyphen could render the command incorrect. Most true Unixes (AIX, HPUX, Solaris) not using the GNU utilities would give an error on the above tar example. For such a simple command, it is one that most people need to look up references to use.

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 <div style="background-color:black; padding:5px; width:fit-content; margin-left: 2em">
-<font color="white">To disarm the bomb,<br>simply enter a valid<br></font><font color="gray">''tar''</font> <font color="white">command on your<br>first try. No Googling.<br>You&nbsp;have&nbsp;</font><code><font color="black">ten</font></code>&nbsp;<font color="white">seconds.<br>~# </font> <font color="gray">_</font>
+<font color="white">To disarm the bomb,<br>simply enter a valid<br></font><font color="gray">''<tt>tar</tt>''</font> <font color="white">command on your<br>first try. No Googling.<br>You&nbsp;have&nbsp;</font><code><font color="black">ten</font></code>&nbsp;<font color="white">seconds.<br>~# </font> <font color="gray">_</font>
 </div>

@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 The joke here is that a "tar" command with perfect syntax on the first try without outside help is such a daunting task that even [[Rob]] can't overcome it with confidence, and apologizes for not being able to prevent their imminent death.
-The fact that [[Megan]] and [[White Hat]] assume that Rob can disarm the {{w|nuclear bomb}} because he uses Unix can be referring to an over-generalization fallacy that a partaker in a practice is an expert of a practice. Not all people who use Unix necessarily know how to use tar commands. Then again, since he's the only person nearby who knows ''any'' Unix and thus their only hope, their fallacy is pretty justified.
+The fact that [[Megan]] and [[White Hat]] assume that Rob can disarm the {{w|nuclear bomb}} because he uses Unix can be referring to an over-generalization fallacy that a partaker in a practice is an expert of a practice. Not all people who use Unix necessarily know how to use tar commands. Then again, since he's the only person nearby who knows ''any'' Unix and thus their only hope, their fallacy may be justified.
 The title text points out that while much of computing changes very quickly, the tar program, which is very old (originating ca. 1975), is still around and heavily used. And yet, [[Randall]] complains he still cannot type out a line of tar command with correct flags without having to look the flags up. Tar is a very common command that Unix users will come across regularly, much like Windows users will come across .zip files. Depending on the flavor of Unix, the order of the flags, or the lack or inclusion of a '-' could render the command incorrect. Most true Unixes (AIX, HPUX, Solaris) not using the GNU utilities would give an error on the above tar example. For such a simple command, it is one that most people need to look up references to use.