tar command help


       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 ] [ -j, -I, --bzip  ]
       [  --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-num�
       ber ] [ --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
 
              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
              ignore blocks of zeros in  archive  (normally  mean
              EOF)
 
       -j, -I, --bzip
              filter  the archive through bzip2. Note: -I is dep�
              recated and may get a different meaning in the near
              future.
 
       --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
              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)

Comments - most recent first
(Please feel free to answer questions posted by others!)

John Lien (25 Apr 2011, 09:01)

I have six sub-directories, can I exclude 1 of them and back up the other 5 directories.

sundar (09 Mar 2011, 03:52)

Hi,

How to restart tar operation from where it was broken?

MANOJ ATTRI (25 Jan 2011, 09:12)

full discription of tar command with example

pat (06 Jun 2010, 21:31)

tarball help

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