redhat man page for tar

TAR(1)							      General Commands Manual							    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 ] [ -j, -I, --bzip ] [ --ignore-failed-read ] [ -k, --keep-old-files ] [ -K, --starting-file F ] [ -l, --one-file-sys-
       tem  ]  [  -L, --tape-length N ] [ -m, --modification-time ] [ -M, --multi-volume ] [ -N, --after-date DATE, --newer DATE ] [ -o, --old-ar-
       chive, --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)

       -j, -I, --bzip
	      filter the archive through bzip2. Note: -I is deprecated 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
	      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)

								  30 October 2000							    TAR(1)