archive
tar
Bundles multiple files into a single archive and can transparently compress with gzip, bzip2, or xz. The default archive format on Linux.
tar [OPTION]... [FILE]...Common flags
| Flag | Purpose |
|---|---|
| -c | Create a new archive |
| -x | Extract from an archive |
| -t | List archive contents |
| -f | Archive file to read/write (must be last before the filename) |
| -v | Verbose -- list files as they are processed |
| -z | Filter through gzip |
| -j | Filter through bzip2 |
| -J | Filter through xz |
Examples
tar -czvf site.tar.gz site/Create a gzip-compressed archive of a directory
tar -xzvf site.tar.gzExtract a gzipped tarball
tar -tf release.tar.gzList contents without extracting
tar -xJf pkg.tar.xz -C /optExtract an xz-compressed archive into /opt
Gotcha
-f must be the last flag in a bundle like -czvf because it takes the filename that follows it; a misplaced -f is a classic mistake.
Related commands
rsync
Efficient file synchronizer that copies only the differences between source and destination. Works locally or over SSH.
cp
Copies files and directories from one location to another. Preserves or transforms metadata depending on flags.
du
Estimates disk usage of files and directories. Great for hunting the source of a full filesystem.