What is the tar utility and how is it used in Linux?

sharee · 04-30-2010, 09:22 AM

What are the functions of the tar utility?

kirukan · 04-30-2010, 09:29 AM

Refer the manpage functionality of "tar", basically its using for compress and uncompress the files

druuna · 04-30-2010, 09:34 AM

Hi,

Quote:

basically its using for compress and uncompress purpose

@kirukan: That's not entirely correct.

Tar itself doesn't de/compress anything, it creates a container which holds the file(s)/dir(s) you want.

Modern versions have integrated de/compress utilities, like bzip/gzip/compress, so you can use compression but it is not tar's main function.

GNU Tar's official manual

Hope this clears things up.

TB0ne · 04-30-2010, 09:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sharee

What are the functions of the tar utility?

Seems like you're posting alot of "What is the history of", "what is the function of", etc., kinds of questions. Almost like they're homework....are they??

The man pages for the commands, as well as a Google search, can tell you these sorts of things.

kirukan · 04-30-2010, 10:07 AM

Hi druuna, Thanks to correct myself. I had it in mind .gz with tar because mostly i am using tar(.tar.gz) for compress and hold files and directories, or extract source file.

pixellany · 04-30-2010, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TB0ne

Seems like you're posting alot of "What is the history of", "what is the function of", etc., kinds of questions. Almost like they're homework....are they??

Note quite the classic homework pattern-- see, eg, the OP's first post.

sharee;
Regardless of whether it is homework, some of your questions could be answered MUCH faster by Google. One the best ways to ask questions here is to tell us what you found on Google and then request clarification of some key point.

TB0ne · 04-30-2010, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pixellany

Note quite the classic homework pattern-- see, eg, the OP's first post.

Well, the subject was:

Code:

What is the tar utility and how is it used in Linux?

Very much sounds like it's straight out of a textbook, or on a practice test. Took that in context with:

Code:

What is the history of UNIX printing and how do you configure a printer on LInux?
Can someone please explain the GNU Project in Layman's terms
I want to know the History of Linux.
Is CLI and GUI the only tools that can be used to add users and groups within Linux?

Just all seem like textbook type questions. Not accusing, mind you...but given the pattern, felt it best to ask.

catkin · 04-30-2010, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TB0ne

Just all seem like textbook type questions. Not accusing, mind you...but given the pattern, felt it best to ask.

There's a pattern to sharee's six threads. In each one, the language of the title is quite different from the language of the message and there has not yet been a second post from sharee in the thread. That's an unusual pattern.

pixellany · 04-30-2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catkin

That's an unusual pattern.

Yes and no---we have quite a few cases lately where "serial posters" start many new threads with no follow-up.

One was so egregious that we started discussing how to curtail such behavior.

The current control mechanism is that "serial posters" will eventually not get help from some portion of our membership.

pixellany · 04-30-2010, 02:35 PM

OK--I'm slow.

I just read another of sharee's posts, and I see the point. The title appears to be a cut and paste from the assignment, and the text is more ad-libbed.