How do I create a tar file under Linux using command line options?
You need to use the tar command to create an archive (also known as tar ball) under Linux operating systems.
Linux tar command syntax
The syntax is as follows to create a tar file:
tar -cvf output.tar /dirname
OR
tar -cvf output.tar /dirname1 /dirname2 filename1 filename2
OR
tar -cvf output.tar /home/vivek/data /home/vivek/pictures /home/vivek/file.txt
OR
tar -cvf /tmp/output.tar /home/vivek/data /home/vivek/pictures /home/vivek/file.txt
Where,
- c : Create a tar ball.
- v : Verbose output (show progress).
- f : Output tar ball archive file name.
Example
Create a tar ball called /tmp/data.tar for /home/vivek/data directory, enter:
tar -cvf /tmp/data.tar /home/vivek/data
To View a Tar Ball Contains (list file inside a tar ball)
Type the following command:
tar -ctvf /tmp/data.ta
To Extract a Tar Ball
Type the following command to extract /tmp/data.tar in a current directory, enter:
tar -xvf /tmp/data.ta
Type the following command to extract /tmp/data.tar in a directory called /home/sales/data, enter:
tar -xvf /tmp/data.tar -C /home/sales/data
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- Last Updated: 12/15/09



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