tar Command - Archive and Extract Files

The tar command is used to archive files and directories, and can also compress and extract archives.

Syntax

tar [options] [archive-file] [file or directory...]

Common Options

• -c: Create a new archive.
• -x: Extract files from an archive.
• -t: List archive contents.
• -v: Verbosely list files processed.
• -f: Use archive file.
• -z: Compress with gzip.

Examples

tar -cvf archive.tar file1 file2

tar -xvf archive.tar

tar -czvf archive.tar.gz dir1

Notes

• The tar command is widely used for packaging files for backup or distribution.
• Options can be combined (e.g., -czvf).