tar command help

 tar - The GNU version of the tar archiving utility
 

SYNOPSIS

 tar [ - ] A --catenate --concatenate | c --create | d
 --diff --compare | r --append | t --list | u --update | x
 -extract --get [ --atime-preserve ] [ -b, --block-size N ]
 [ -B, --read-full-blocks ] [ -C, --directory DIR ] [
 --checkpoint ] [ -f, --file [HOSTNAME:]F ] [ --force-
 local ] [ -F, --info-script F --new-volume-script F ] [
 -G, --incremental ] [ -g, --listed-incremental F ] [ -h,
 --dereference ] [ -i, --ignore-zeros ] [ -j, -I, --bzip ]
 [ --ignore-failed-read ] [ -k, --keep-old-files ] [ -K,
 --starting-file F ] [ -l, --one-file-system ] [ -L,
 --tape-length N ] [ -m, --modification-time ] [ -M,
 --multi-volume ] [ -N, --after-date DATE, --newer DATE ] [
 -o, --old-archive, --portability ] [ -O, --to-stdout ] [
 -p, --same-permissions, --preserve-permissions ] [ -P,
 --absolute-paths ] [ --preserve ] [ -R, --record-numュ
 ber ] [ --remove-files ] [ -s, --same-order, --preserve-
 order ] [ --same-owner ] [ -S, --sparse ] [ -T, --files-
 from=F ] [ --null ] [ --totals ] [ -v, --verbose ] [
 -V, --label NAME ] [ --version ] [ -w, --interactive,
 --confirmation ] [ -W, --verify ] [ --exclude FILE ] [
 -X, --exclude-from FILE ] [ -Z, --compress, --uncompress ]
 [ -z, --gzip, --ungzip ] [ --use-compress-program
 PROG ] [ --block-compress ] [ -[0-7][lmh] ]
 
 filename1 [ filename2, ... filenameN ]
 
 directory1 [ directory2, ...directoryN ]
 

DESCRIPTION

 This manual page documents the GNU version of tar , an
 archiving program designed to store and extract files from
 an archive file known as a tarfile. A tarfile may be made
 on a tape drive, however, it is also common to write a
 tarfile to a normal file. The first argument to tar must
 be one of the options: Acdrtux, followed by any optional
 functions. The final arguments to tar are the names of
 the files or directories which should be archived. The use
 of a directory name always implies that the subdirectories
 below should be included in the archive.
 

FUNCTION LETTERS

 One of the following options must be used:
 
 -A, --catenate, --concatenate
 append tar files to an archive
 
 -c, --create
 create a new archive
 
 find differences between archive and file system
 
 --delete
 delete from the archive (not for use on mag tapes!)
 
 -r, --append
 append files to the end of an archive
 
 -t, --list
 list the contents of an archive
 
 -u, --update
 only append files that are newer than copy in
 archive
 
 -x, --extract, --get
 extract files from an archive
 

OTHER OPTIONS

 --atime-preserve
 don't change access times on dumped files
 
 -b, --block-size N
 block size of Nx512 bytes (default N=20)
 
 -B, --read-full-blocks
 reblock as we read (for reading 4.2BSD pipes)
 
 -C, --directory DIR
 change to directory DIR
 
 --checkpoint
 print directory names while reading the archive
 
 -f, --file [HOSTNAME:]F
 use archive file or device F (default /dev/rmt0)
 
 --force-local
 archive file is local even if has a colon
 
 -F, --info-script F --new-volume-script F
 run script at end of each tape (implies -M)
 
 -G, --incremental
 create/list/extract old GNU-format incremental
 backup
 
 -g, --listed-incremental F
 create/list/extract new GNU-format incremental
 backup
 
 -h, --dereference
 ignore blocks of zeros in archive (normally mean
 EOF)
 
 -j, -I, --bzip
 filter the archive through bzip2. Note: -I is depュ
 recated and may get a different meaning in the near
 future.
 
 --ignore-failed-read
 don't exit with non-zero status on unreadable files
 
 -k, --keep-old-files
 keep existing files; don't overwrite them from
 archive
 
 -K, --starting-file F
 begin at file F in the archive
 
 -l, --one-file-system
 stay in local file system when creating an archive
 
 -L, --tape-length N
 change tapes after writing N*1024 bytes
 
 -m, --modification-time
 don't extract file modified time
 
 -M, --multi-volume
 create/list/extract multi-volume archive
 
 -N, --after-date DATE, --newer DATE
 only store files newer than DATE
 
 -o, --old-archive, --portability
 write a V7 format archive, rather than ANSI format
 
 -O, --to-stdout
 extract files to standard output
 
 -p, --same-permissions, --preserve-permissions
 extract all protection information
 
 -P, --absolute-paths
 don't strip leading `/'s from file names
 
 --preserve
 like -p -s
 
 -R, --record-number
 show record number within archive with each message
 
 --remove-files
 list of names to extract is sorted to match archive
 
 --same-owner
 create extracted files with the same ownership
 
 -S, --sparse
 handle sparse files efficiently
 
 -T, --files-from=F
 get names to extract or create from file F
 
 --null
 -T reads null-terminated names, disable -C
 
 --totals
 print total bytes written with --create
 
 -v, --verbose
 verbosely list files processed
 
 -V, --label NAME
 create archive with volume name NAME
 
 --version
 print tar program version number
 
 -w, --interactive, --confirmation
 ask for confirmation for every action
 
 -W, --verify
 attempt to verify the archive after writing it
 
 --exclude FILE
 exclude file FILE
 
 -X, --exclude-from FILE
 exclude files listed in FILE
 
 -Z, --compress, --uncompress
 filter the archive through compress
 
 -z, --gzip, --ungzip
 filter the archive through gzip
 
 --use-compress-program PROG
 filter the archive through PROG (which must accept
 -d)