RE: [LINUX5250] [offtopic] Save File Format, anyone?

["Sean Porterfield" <sporter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>> What you REALLY want to know is what command was used to
>populate the save
>> file, and what format that command writes data in.   If the save file was
>> created using the SAVLIB command or SAVOBJ command, then you'll want to
>> know the format of data created with those commands.  And that format is
>> release-specific, and AFIAK undocumented.
>
>How can it be release specific if people are posting save files for Open
>Source AS/400 stuff on the web?  Maybe it's backwards compatible, with new
>releases having new features that are ignored by older versions, but that's
>fine with me--tar is like that.


Yep, they are release specific.  We are at V4R4 and I can't look at or
restore a savf from V5R1.  When you run the SAV* command, you have a TGTRLS
(target release) parameter.  Supported values vary by release.  On V4R4, it
lists V3R2, V4R2, V4R3, and V4R4 as the valid releases.  I'm pretty sure
V5R1 supports V3R2, but we have not installed it yet, so I don't know.

As I recall, a SAVF has a record length of 528.  I know that James W Kilgore
has a program on his site to convert SAVF to PF and back:
http://www.james-w-kilgore.com/ftp/index.html

This is not going to help much, though.  I converted a savf just to test,
and I could read the file name, description, some other things.  I'm not
sure what to make of it though.  I could post the details if you want to
reference known test data.  (By post, I mean make available for
viewing/download on a web site.)  I have the binary image of the SAVF, a
converted PF, and the original source member.