Command: gnu tar

  GNU "TAR" saves many files together into a single tape or disk archive,
  and can restore individual files from the archive.

Syntax:

  tar [OPTION]... [FILE]...
  If a long option shows an argument as mandatory, then it is mandatory
  for the equivalent short option also. Similarly for optional argu-
  ments.

Options:

  Main operation mode:
  -t, --list             List the contents of an archive
  -x, --extract, --get   Extract files from an archive
  -c, --create           Create a new archive
  -d, --diff, --compare  Find differences between archive and file system
  -r, --append           Append files to the end of an archive
  -u, --update           Only append files newer than copy in archive
  -A, --catenate         Append tar files to an archive
      --concatenate      Same as -A
      --delete           Delete from the archive (not on mag tapes!)

  Operation modifiers:
  -W, --verify              Attempt to verify the archive after writing
                            it
      --remove-files        Remove files after adding them to the archive
  -k, --keep-old-files      Don't overwrite existing files when extrac-
                            ting
  -U, --unlink-first        Remove each file prior to extracting over it
      --recursive-unlink    Empty hierarchies prior to extracting direc-
                            tory
  -S, --sparse              Handle sparse files efficiently
  -O, --to-stdout           Extract files to standard output
  -G, --incremental         Handle old GNU-format incremental backup
  -g, --listed-incremental  Handle new GNU-format incremental backup
      --ignore-failed-read  Do not exit with nonzero on unreadable files

  Handling of file attributes:
      --owner=NAME            Force NAME as owner for added files
      --group=NAME            Force NAME as group for added files
      --mode=CHANGES          Force (symbolic) mode CHANGES for added
                              files
      --atime-preserve        Don't change access times on dumped files
  -m, --modification-time     Don't extract file modified time
      --same-owner            Try extracting files with the same owner-
                              ship
      --numeric-owner         Always use numbers for user/group names
  -p, --same-permissions      Extract all protection information
      --preserve-permissions  Same as -p
  -s, --same-order            Sort names to extract to match archive
      --preserve-order        Same as -s
      --preserve              Same as both -p and -s

  Device selection and switching:
  -f, --file=ARCHIVE            Use archive file or device ARCHIVE
      --force-local             Archive file is local even if has a colon
      --rsh-command=COMMAND     Use remote COMMAND instead of rsh
  -[0-7][lmh]                   Specify drive and density
  -M, --multi-volume            Create/list/extract multi-volume archive
  -L, --tape-length=NUM         Change tape after writing NUM x 1024
                                bytes
  -F, --info-script=FILE        Run script at end of each tape
                                (implies -M)
      --new-volume-script=FILE  Same as -F FILE
      --volno-file=FILE         Use/update the volume number in FILE

  Device blocking:
  -b, --blocking-factor=BLOCKS  BLOCKS x 512 bytes per record
      --record-size=SIZE        SIZE bytes per record, multiple of 512
  -i, --ignore-zeros            Ignore zeroed blocks in archive
                                (means EOF)
  -B, --read-full-records       Reblock as we read (for 4.2BSD pipes)

  Archive format selection:
  -V, --label=NAME                  Create archive with volume name NAME
              PATTERN               At list/extract time, a globbing
                                    PATTERN
  -o, --old-archive, --portability  Write a V7 format archive
      --posix                       Write a POSIX conformant archive
  -z, --gzip, --ungzip              Filter the archive through gzip
  -Z, --compress, --uncompress      Filter the archive through compress
      --use-compress-program=PROG   Filter through PROG (must accept -d)

  Local file selection:
  -C, --dir=DIR             Change to directory DIR
  -T, --files-from=NAME     Get names to extract or create from file NAME
      --null                -T reads null-terminated names, disable -C
      --exclude=PATTERN     Exclude files, given as a globbing PATTERN
  -X, --exclude-from=FILE   Exclude globbing patterns listed in FILE
  -P, --absolute-names      Don't strip leading '/'s from file names
  -h, --dereference         Dump instead the files symlinks point to
      --no-recursion        Avoid descending automatically in directories
  -l, --one-file-system     Stay in local file system when creating
                            archive
  -K, --starting-file=NAME  Begin at file NAME in the archive
  -N, --newer=DATE          Only store files newer than DATE
      --newer-mtime         Compare date and time when data changed only
      --after-date=DATE     Same as -N
      --backup[=CONTROL]    Backup before removal, choose version control
      --suffix=SUFFIX       Backup before removal, override usual suffix

  Informative output:
      --help          Print this help, then exit
      --version       Print tar program version number, then exit
  -v, --verbose       Verbosely list files processed
      --checkpoint    Print directory names while reading the archive
      --totals        Print total bytes written while creating archive
  -R, --block-number  Show block number within archive with each message
  -w, --interactive   Ask for confirmation for every action
      --confirmation  Same as -w

  The backup suffix is '~', unless set with --suffix or
  SIMPLE_BACKUP_SUFFIX.
  The version control may be set with --backup or VERSION_CONTROL, values
  are:
    t, numbered    Make numbered backups
    nil, existing  Numbered if numbered backups exist, simple otherwise
    never, simple  Always make simple backups

Comments:

  GNU tar cannot read nor produce '--posix' archives.  If POSIXLY_CORRECT
  is set in the environment, GNU extensions are disallowed with
  '--posix'.
  Support for POSIX is only partially implemented, don't count on it yet.
  ARCHIVE may be FILE, HOST:FILE or USER@HOST:FILE; and FILE may be a
  file or a device.  *This* 'tar' defaults to '-f- -b20'.

  GNU TAR has an extensive documentation that is beyond the scope of
  this help. For more information see:
  https://gitlab.com/FreeDOS/archiver/tar, folder /DOC/TAR, files
  tar.info - tar.info-8.

Examples:

  - none - see manual tar.info - tar.info-8

Command: gnu tar

Syntax:

Options:

Comments:

Examples:

See also: