The FSF references this in a news article [1]. Stating that pdtar is what GNU tar was based on.

[1] https://www.fsf.org/news/2009-free-software-awards

Yes, that is definitely true. I was simply referring to the claim that pdtar was known as gnu tar.

pdtar was another name for gnu tar as can be seen on john's home page or wikipedia page if you can't access it.

I see references to John Gilmore being the original author of pdtar, and John Gilmore using the gnu handle, but I don't see any references to his usage of the name predating the GNU project or pdtar being referred to as gnutar before it became part of the GNU project.

I'm not saying that I disbelieve you, I just haven't been able to find any references for your claim.

ChangeLog.1 and NEWS only go back to after it was migrated to the GNU project (http://git.savannah.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=tar.git;a=tree), his personal site, http://www.toad.com/gnu/ seems to be down but an archive (https://web.archive.org/web/20180623140434/http://www.toad.c...) just says 'In 1985 I wrote the "pdtar" program, which eventually became GNU Tar.'

He clearly uses the name "gnu", but did that usage predate the GNU project? I haven't found a reference for that.

It sure did. We have been friends for longer then that.