This is Info file tar.info, produced by Makeinfo version 1.68 from the
input file tar.texi.

START-INFO-DIR-ENTRY
* tar: (tar).			Making tape (or disk) archives.
END-INFO-DIR-ENTRY

   This file documents GNU tar, which creates and extracts files from
archives.

   Published by the Free Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite
330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA

   Copyright 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000 Free Software
Foundation, Inc.

   Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
Invariant Sections, with no Front-Cover Texts, and with no Back-Cover
Texts.  A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU
Free Documentation License".


File: tar.info,  Node: Top,  Next: Introduction,  Up: (dir)

GNU tar: an archiver tool
*************************

   GNU tar creates and extracts files from archives.

   This manual documents version 1.13.18 of GNU tar.

   The first part of this master menu lists the major nodes in this Info
document.  The rest of the menu lists all the lower level nodes.
ifnottex

* Menu:

* Introduction::
* Tutorial::
* tar invocation::
* operations::
* Backups::
* Choosing::
* Date input formats::
* Formats::
* Media::
* GNU Free Documentation License::
* Index::


 -- The Detailed Node Listing --

Introduction

* Book Contents::               What this Book Contains
* Definitions::                 Some Definitions
* What tar Does::               What tar Does
* Naming tar Archives::         How tar Archives are Named
* posix compliance::
* Authors::                     GNU tar Authors
* Reports::                     Reporting bugs or suggestions

Tutorial Introduction to tar

* assumptions::
* stylistic conventions::
* basic tar options::           Basic tar Operations and Options
* frequent operations::
* Two Frequent Options::
* create::                      How to Create Archives
* list::                        How to List Archives
* extract::                     How to Extract Members from an Archive
* going further::

Two Frequently Used Options

* file tutorial::
* verbose tutorial::
* help tutorial::

How to Create Archives

* prepare for examples::
* Creating the archive::
* create verbose::
* short create::
* create dir::

How to List Archives

* list dir::

How to Extract Members from an Archive

* extracting archives::
* extracting files::
* extract dir::
* failing commands::

Invoking GNU tar

* Synopsis::
* using tar options::
* Styles::
* All Options::
* help::
* verbose::
* interactive::

The Three Option Styles

* Mnemonic Options::            Mnemonic Option Style
* Short Options::               Short Option Style
* Old Options::                 Old Option Style
* Mixing::                      Mixing Option Styles

All tar Options

* Operation Summary::
* Option Summary::
* Short Option Summary::

GNU tar Operations

* Basic tar::
* Advanced tar::
* create options::
* extract options::
* backup::
* Applications::
* looking ahead::

Advanced GNU tar Operations

* Operations::
* current state::
* append::
* update::
* concatenate::
* delete::
* compare::

How to Add Files to Existing Archives: `--append'

* appending files::             Appending Files to an Archive
* multiple::

Updating an Archive

* how to update::

Options used by `--create'

* Ignore Failed Read::

Options Used by `--extract'

* Reading::                     Options to Help Read Archives
* Writing::                     Changing How tar Writes Files
* Scarce::                      Coping with Scarce Resources

Options to Help Read Archives

* read full records::
* Ignore Zeros::

Changing How tar Extracts Files Over Preexisting Files

* Dealing with Old Files::
* Overwrite Old Files::
* Keep Old Files::
* Unlink First::
* Recursive Unlink::

Changing How tar Writes Files

* Modification Times::
* Setting Access Permissions::
* Writing to Standard Output::
* remove files::

Coping with Scarce Resources

* Starting File::
* Same Order::

Performing Backups and Restoring Files

* Full Dumps::                  Using tar to Perform Full Dumps
* Inc Dumps::                   Using tar to Perform Incremental Dumps
* incremental and listed-incremental::  The Incremental Options
* Backup Levels::               Levels of Backups
* Backup Parameters::           Setting Parameters for Backups and Restoration
* Scripted Backups::            Using the Backup Scripts
* Scripted Restoration::        Using the Restore Script

Setting Parameters for Backups and Restoration

* backup-specs example::        An Example Text of `Backup-specs'
* Script Syntax::               Syntax for `Backup-specs'

Choosing Files and Names for tar

* file::                        Choosing the Archive's Name
* Selecting Archive Members::
* files::                       Reading Names from a File
* exclude::                     Excluding Some Files
* Wildcards::
* after::                       Operating Only on New Files
* recurse::                     Descending into Directories
* one::                         Crossing Filesystem Boundaries

Reading Names from a File

* nul::

Excluding Some Files

* problems with exclude::

Crossing Filesystem Boundaries

* directory::                   Changing Directory
* absolute::                    Absolute File Names

Date input formats

* General date syntax::            Common rules.
* Calendar date items::            19 Dec 1994.
* Time of day items::              9:20pm.
* Time zone items::                EST, PDT, GMT, ...
* Day of week items::              Monday and others.
* Relative items in date strings:: next tuesday, 2 years ago.
* Pure numbers in date strings::   19931219, 1440.
* Authors of getdate::             Bellovin, Eggert, Berets, Salz, et al.

Controlling the Archive Format

* Portability::                 Making tar Archives More Portable
* Compression::                 Using Less Space through Compression
* Attributes::                  Handling File Attributes
* Standard::                    The Standard Format
* Extensions::                  GNU Extensions to the Archive Format
* cpio::                        Comparison of tar and cpio

Making tar Archives More Portable

* Portable Names::              Portable Names
* dereference::                 Symbolic Links
* old::                         Old V7 Archives
* posix::                       POSIX archives
* Checksumming::                Checksumming Problems
* Large or Negative Values::    Large files, negative time stamps, etc.

Using Less Space through Compression

* gzip::                        Creating and Reading Compressed Archives
* sparse::                      Archiving Sparse Files

Tapes and Other Archive Media

* Device::                      Device selection and switching
* Remote Tape Server::
* Common Problems and Solutions::
* Blocking::                    Blocking
* Many::                        Many archives on one tape
* Using Multiple Tapes::        Using Multiple Tapes
* label::                       Including a Label in the Archive
* verify::
* Write Protection::

Blocking

* Format Variations::           Format Variations
* Blocking Factor::             The Blocking Factor of an Archive

Many Archives on One Tape

* Tape Positioning::            Tape Positions and Tape Marks
* mt::                          The mt Utility

Using Multiple Tapes

* Multi-Volume Archives::       Archives Longer than One Tape or Disk
* Tape Files::                  Tape Files


File: tar.info,  Node: Introduction,  Next: Tutorial,  Prev: Top,  Up: Top

Introduction
************

   Welcome to the GNU tar manual.  GNU tar creates and manipulates
("archives") which are actually collections of many other files; the
program provides users with an organized and systematic method for
controlling a large amount of data.

* Menu:

* Book Contents::               What this Book Contains
* Definitions::                 Some Definitions
* What tar Does::               What tar Does
* Naming tar Archives::         How tar Archives are Named
* posix compliance::
* Authors::                     GNU tar Authors
* Reports::                     Reporting bugs or suggestions


File: tar.info,  Node: Book Contents,  Next: Definitions,  Up: Introduction

What this Book Contains
=======================

   The first part of this chapter introduces you to various terms that
will recur throughout the book.  It also tells you who has worked on GNU
tar and its documentation, and where you should send bug reports or
comments.

   The second chapter is a tutorial (*note Tutorial::.) which provides a
gentle introduction for people who are new to using tar.  It is meant
to be self contained, not requiring any reading from subsequent
chapters to make sense.  It moves from topic to topic in a logical,
progressive order, building on information already explained.

   Although the tutorial is paced and structured to allow beginners to
learn how to use tar, it is not intended solely for beginners.  The
tutorial explains how to use the three most frequently used operations
(`create', `list', and `extract') as well as two frequently used
options (`file' and `verbose').  The other chapters do not refer to the
tutorial frequently; however, if a section discusses something which is
a complex variant of a basic concept, there may be a cross reference to
that basic concept.  (The entire book, including the tutorial, assumes
that the reader understands some basic concepts of using a Unix-type
operating system; *note Tutorial::..)

   The third chapter presents the remaining five operations, and
information about using tar options and option syntax.

   The other chapters are meant to be used as a reference.  Each
chapter presents everything that needs to be said about a specific
topic.

