tar Command Cheatsheet
The tar command is used to create, manipulate, and extract archive files. It is commonly used for bundling multiple files into a single file for easy distribution and backup.
Syntax
tar [OPTION]... [FILE]...
Common Options
-c: Create a new archive.-x: Extract an archive.-t: List the contents of an archive.-f FILE: Specify the archive file name.-v: Verbose mode, display the progress.-z: Filter the archive through gzip (use with.tar.gz).-j: Filter the archive through bzip2 (use with.tar.bz2).-J: Filter the archive through xz (use with.tar.xz).--delete: Delete files from the archive.
Examples
Create a Tar Archive
tar -cf archive.tar file1.txt file2.txt
- Creates
archive.tarcontainingfile1.txtandfile2.txt.
Create a Tar.gz Archive
tar -czf archive.tar.gz file1.txt file2.txt
- Creates
archive.tar.gzwith gzip compression.
Create a Tar.bz2 Archive
tar -cjf archive.tar.bz2 file1.txt file2.txt
- Creates
archive.tar.bz2with bzip2 compression.
Create a Tar.xz Archive
tar -cJf archive.tar.xz file1.txt file2.txt
- Creates
archive.tar.xzwith xz compression.
Extract a Tar Archive
tar -xf archive.tar
- Extracts
archive.tar.
Extract a Tar.gz Archive
tar -xzf archive.tar.gz
- Extracts
archive.tar.gz.
Extract a Tar.bz2 Archive
tar -xjf archive.tar.bz2
- Extracts
archive.tar.bz2.
Extract a Tar.xz Archive
tar -xJf archive.tar.xz
- Extracts
archive.tar.xz.
List Contents of an Archive
tar -tf archive.tar
- Lists contents of
archive.tar.
Verbose Listing
tar -tvf archive.tar
- Lists contents of
archive.tarwith details.
Extract to a Specific Directory
tar -xf archive.tar -C /path/to/directory
- Extracts
archive.tarto/path/to/directory.
Add Files to an Existing Archive
tar -rf archive.tar newfile.txt
- Adds
newfile.txttoarchive.tar.
Delete Files from an Archive
tar --delete -f archive.tar file_to_delete.txt
- Deletes
file_to_delete.txtfromarchive.tar.
Combining Options
You can combine options for more concise commands. For example:
tar -czvf archive.tar.gz file1.txt file2.txt
- Creates
archive.tar.gzwith gzip compression, verbose mode.
This cheatsheet covers the most common usages and options for the tar command. For more detailed information, refer to the tar man page by typing man tar in your terminal.