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,  --incremen­
       tal] [-g, --listed-incremental=F] [-h, --dereference] [-i,
       --ignore-zeros]       [-j,       --bzip2,       --bunzip2]
       [--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,  --abso­
       lute-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

       -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)

       -j, --bzip2, --bunzip2
              filter the archive through bzip2

       --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
              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


       -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


BUGS

       The GNU folks, in general, abhor  man  pages,  and  create
       info  documents instead.  The maintainer of tar falls into
       this category.  This man page  is  neither  complete,  nor
       current, and was included in the Debian Linux packaging of
       tar entirely to reduce the frequency with which  the  lack
       of  a man page gets reported as a bug in our defect track­
       ing system.

       If you really want to understand tar, then you should  run
       info  and read the tar info pages, or use the info mode in
       emacs.




Version 1.13.25          14 December 2000                  TAR(1)

Man(1) output converted with man2html