linux - tar (1)



NAME
       tar - The GNU version of the tar archiving utility


SYNOPSIS
       tar  [  -  ]  A  --catenate --concatenate | c --create | d
       --diff --compare | r --append | t --list | u --update |  x
       -extract --get [ --atime-preserve ] [ -b, --block-size N ]
       [ -B, --read-full-blocks ]  [  -C,  --directory  DIR  ]  [
       --checkpoint     ]  [ -f, --file [HOSTNAME:]F ] [ --force-
       local   ] [ -F, --info-script F --new-volume-script F ]  [
       -G,  --incremental  ] [ -g, --listed-incremental F ] [ -h,
       --dereference ] [ -i, --ignore-zeros ] [  --ignore-failed-
       read  ] [ -k, --keep-old-files ] [ -K, --starting-file F ]
       [ -l, --one-file-system ] [ -L, --tape-length N  ]  [  -m,
       --modification-time   ]  [  -M,  --multi-volume  ]  [  -N,
       --after-date DATE, --newer DATE  ]  [  -o,  --old-archive,
       --portability  ]  [ -O, --to-stdout ] [ -p, --same-permis-
       sions, --preserve-permissions ] [ -P, --absolute-paths ] [
       --preserve      ] [ -R, --record-number ] [ --remove-files
       ] [ -s, --same-order, --preserve-order ] [ --same-owner  ]
       [  -S,  --sparse ] [ -T, --files-from F ] [ --null     ] [
       --totals   ] [ -v, --verbose ] [  -V,  --label  NAME  ]  [
       --version   ]  [ -w, --interactive, --confirmation ] [ -W,
       --verify    ] [ --exclude FILE ] [ -X, --exclude-from FILE
       ]   [   -Z,  --compress,  --uncompress  ]  [  -z,  --gzip,
       --ungzip      ] [ --use-compress-program PROG ] [ --block-
       compress ] [ -[0-7][lmh]     ]

       filename1 [ filename2, ... filenameN ]

       directory1 [ directory2, ...directoryN ]


DESCRIPTION
       This  manual  page  documents  the GNU version of tar , an
       archiving program designed to store and extract files from
       an archive file known as a tarfile.  A tarfile may be made
       on a tape drive, however, it is also  common  to  write  a
       tarfile  to a normal file.  The first argument to tar must
       be one of the options: Acdrtux, followed by  any  optional
       functions.   The  final  arguments to tar are the names of
       the files or directories which should be archived. The use
       of a directory name always implies that the subdirectories
       below should be included in the archive.


FUNCTION LETTERS
       One of the following options must be used:

       -A, --catenate, --concatenate
              append tar files to an archive

       -c, --create
              create a new archive

       -d, --diff, --compare
              find differences between archive and file system

       --delete
              delete from the archive (not for use on mag tapes!)

       -r, --append
              append files to the end of an archive

       -t, --list
              list the contents of an archive

       -u, --update
              only  append  files  that  are  newer  than copy in
              archive

       -x, --extract, --get
              extract files from an archive


OTHER OPTIONS
       --atime-preserve
              don't change access times on dumped files

       -b, --block-size N
              block size of Nx512 bytes (default N=20)

       -B, --read-full-blocks
              reblock as we read (for reading 4.2BSD pipes)

       -C, --directory DIR
              change to directory DIR

       --checkpoint
              print directory names while reading the archive

       -f, --file [HOSTNAME:]F
              use archive file or device F (default /dev/rmt0)

       --force-local
              archive file is local even if has a colon

       -F, --info-script F --new-volume-script F
              run script at end of each tape (implies -M)

       -G, --incremental
              create/list/extract  old   GNU-format   incremental
              backup

       -g, --listed-incremental F
              create/list/extract   new   GNU-format  incremental
              backup

       -i, --ignore-zeros
              ignore blocks of zeros in  archive  (normally  mean
              EOF)

       --ignore-failed-read
              don't exit with non-zero status on unreadable files

       -k, --keep-old-files
              keep existing  files;  don't  overwrite  them  from
              archive

       -K, --starting-file F
              begin at file F in the archive

       -l, --one-file-system
              stay in local file system when creating an archive

       -L, --tape-length N
              change tapes after writing N*1024 bytes

       -m, --modification-time
              don't extract file modified time

       -M, --multi-volume
              create/list/extract multi-volume archive

       -N, --after-date DATE, --newer DATE
              only store files newer than DATE

       -o, --old-archive, --portability
              write a V7 format archive, rather than ANSI format

       -O, --to-stdout
              extract files to standard output

       -p, --same-permissions, --preserve-permissions
              extract all protection information

       -P, --absolute-paths
              don't strip leading `/'s from file names

       --preserve
              like -p -s

       -R, --record-number
              show record number within archive with each message

       --remove-files
              remove files after adding them to the archive

       -s, --same-order, --preserve-order
              list of names to extract is sorted to match archive

       --same-owner
              create extracted files with the same ownership

       -S, --sparse
              handle sparse files efficiently

       -T, --files-from F
              get names to extract or create from file F

       --null
              -T reads null-terminated names, disable -C

       --totals
              print total bytes written with --create

       -v, --verbose
              verbosely list files processed

       -V, --label NAME
              create archive with volume name NAME

       --version
              print tar program version number

       -w, --interactive, --confirmation
              ask for confirmation for every action

       -W, --verify
              attempt to verify the archive after writing it

       --exclude FILE
              exclude file FILE

       -X, --exclude-from FILE
              exclude files listed in FILE

       -Z, --compress, --uncompress
              filter the archive through compress

       -z, --gzip, --ungzip
              filter the archive through gzip

       --use-compress-program PROG
              filter  the archive through PROG (which must accept
              -d)

       --block-compress
              block the output of compression program for tapes

       -[0-7][lmh]
              specify drive and density