R.tar.gz File
: It is a frequent naming convention for automated server backups (e.g., backup.R.tar.gz ) used in shell scripts to save databases or system configurations.
: It is the standard format for the source code of the R programming language (e.g., R-4.3.1.tar.gz ) found on CRAN . R.tar.gz
: The archive uses the properties of the DEFLATE algorithm and the way zip/tar headers work to point back to the beginning of the file, essentially creating a loop. Common Technical Contexts : It is a frequent naming convention for
: It is used to package Linux drivers, such as for Wacom tablets, to ensure they can be compiled and installed across different machines. Zip Files All The Way Down - research!rsc Common Technical Contexts : It is used to
: For "die-hard Unix fans," Cox explains r.tar.gz , a gzipped tarball that contains another r.tar.gz inside it.
In his post, Russ Cox demonstrates how to create a file that, when unpacked, contains a file identical to itself. This creates an infinite loop of extraction:
