tar(1)

is a string of characters containing exactly one function letter and zero or more function modifiers, specified in any order. Whitespace is not permitted in key. The key string can be preceded by a hyphen (-), as when specifying options in other HP-UX commands, but it is not necessary.

The b and f function modifiers each require an arg argument (see below). If both b and f are specified, the order of the arg arguments must match the order of the modifiers. If specified, the arg arguments must be separated from the key and each other by whitespace.

specifies a file being saved or restored. If file is a directory name, it refers to the files and (recursively) the subdirectories contained in that directory.

causes tar to perform a chdir() to directory (see chdir(2)). Subsequent file and -C directory arguments are relative to directory. This allows multiple directories not related by a close or common parent to be archived using short relative path names.

Create a new archive. Write from the beginning of the archive instead of appending after the last file. Any previous information in the archive is overwritten.

Add the named file to the end of the archive. The same blocking factor used to create the archive must be used to append to it. This option cannot be used if the archive is a tape.

List the names of all the files in the archive. Adding the v function modifier expands this listing to include the file modes and owner numbers. The names of all files are listed each time they occur on the tape.

Add any named file to the archive if it is not already present or has been modified since it was last written in the archive. The same blocking factor used to create the archive must be used to update it.

Extract the named file from the archive and restore it to the system. If a named file matches a directory whose contents were written to the archive, this directory is (recursively) extracted. If a named file on tape does not exist on the system, the file is created as follows:

If the files exist, their modes are not changed, but the set-user-id, set-group-id and sticky bits are cleared. If no file argument is given, the entire content of the archive is extracted. Note that if several files with the same name are on the archive, the last one overwrites all earlier ones.

Suppress warning messages that tar did not archive a file's access control list. By default, tar writes a warning message for each file with optional ACL entries.

Use the next arg argument as the blocking factor for archive records. The default is 20; the maximum is at least 20. However, if the f - modifier is used to specify standard input, the default blocking factor is 1.

The blocking factor is determined automatically when reading nine-track tapes (key letters x and t). On nine-track tapes, the physical tape record length is the same as the block size. The block size is defined as the logical record size times the blocking factor (number of logical records per block).

The blocking factor must be specified when reading flexible disks and cartridge tapes if they were written with a blocking factor other than the default.

If a tar file is read using a blocking factor not equal to the one used when the file was written, an error may occur at the end of the file but there may or may not be an actual error in the read. To prevent this problem, a blocking factor of 1 can be used, although performance may be reduced somewhat.

tar writes logical records of 512 bytes, independent of how logical records may be defined elsewhere by other programs (such as variable-length records (lines) within an ASCII text file).

Fail if the extent attributes are present in the files to be archived. If tar fails for this reason, the partially created destination file is not be removed.

Use the next arg argument as the name of the archive instead of the default, /dev/rmt/0m. If the legacy DSF is disabled the default value is /dev/rtape/tape1_BEST. If the name of the file is -, tar writes to standard output or reads from standard input, whichever is appropriate, and the default blocking factor becomes 1. Thus, tar can be used as the head or tail of a pipeline (see EXAMPLES).

Force tar to follow symbolic links as if they were normal files or directories. Normally, tar does not follow symbolic links.

Tell tar to complain if it cannot resolve all of the links to the files being saved. If l is not specified, no error messages are printed.

Tell tar not to restore the modification time written on the archive. The modification time of the file will be the time of extraction.

Write a POSIX format archive. This format allows file names of up to 256 characters in length, and correctly archives and restores the following file types: regular files, character and block special devices, links, symbolic links, directories, and FIFO special files. It also stores the user and group name of each file and attempts to use these names to determine the user-ID and group-ID of a file when restoring it with the p function modifier. This is the default format.

Suppress writing certain directory information that older versions of tar cannot handle on input. tar normally writes information specifying owners and modes of directories in the archive. Earlier versions of tar, when encountering this information, give error messages of the form:

When o is used for reading, it causes the extracted file to take on the user and group IDs of the user running the program rather than those on the tape. This is the default for the ordinary user and can be overridden, to the extent that system protections allow, by using the p function modifier.

Write a pre-POSIX format archive.

Cause file to be restored to the original modes and ownerships written on the archive, if possible. This is the default for the superuser, and can be overridden by the o function modifier. If system protections prevent the ordinary user from executing chown(), the error is ignored, and the ownership is set to that of the restoring process (see chown(2)). The set-user-id, set-group-id, and sticky bit information are restored as allowed by the protections defined by chmod() if the chown() operation above succeeds.

Specify a particular nine-track tape drive and density, where n is a tape drive number: 0-7, and d is the density: l = low (800 bpi); m = medium (1600 bpi); h = high (6250 bpi). This modifier selects the drive on which the nine-track tape is mounted. The default is 0m.

Normally, tar does its work silently. The v (verbose) function modifier causes tar to type the name of each file it treats, preceded by the function letter. With the t function, v gives more information about the archive entries than just the name.

Same as the v function modifier except that, when using the t option, tar also prints out a letter indicating the type of the archived file.

Cause tar to print the action being taken, followed by the name of the file, then wait for the user's confirmation. If the user answers y, the action is performed. Any other input means "no".