Example--Creating an Archive for Older SunOS Releases

$ find . -print | cpio -oH tar > /tmp/test
 113 blocks
$ cpio -iH bar < /tmp/test
cpio: Invalid header "bar" specified
USAGE:
        cpio -i[bcdfkmrstuvBSV6] [-C size] [-E file] [-H hdr]
            [-I file [-M msg]] [-R id] [patterns]
        cpio -o[acvABLV] [-C size] [-H hdr] [-O file [-M msg]]
        cpio -p[adlmuvLV] [-R id] directory

When you create an archive using different options, always write the command syntax on the media label along with the names of the files or file system on the archive.

If you do not know which cpio options were used when an archive was created, all you can do is experiment with different combinations of the options to see which ones allow the archive to be read.

See cpio(1) for a complete list of options.