TAR(1) manual page

Table of Contents

## 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-permissions, --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
-h, --dereference`` ``
  don't dump symlinks; dump the files they point to
-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

Table of Contents

- NAME
- SYNOPSIS
- DESCRIPTION
- FUNCTION LETTERS
- OTHER OPTIONS