tar Problems

mashcaster · 01-01-2009, 10:34 AM

I am having problems with tar. If I use the command

tar czf "/home/user/Desktop/backup.tar" "/home/user/Desktop/documents"

it creates a tar file, but it also includes the folder structure "/home/user/Desktop/documents". How do I stop it from creating the folder structure in the tar file and only compress the files/folders I want without having to click through the whole folder structure to get to the backup files?

repo · 01-01-2009, 10:48 AM

cd to the directory
you can use the -C option

man tar

mashcaster · 01-01-2009, 11:38 AM

I tried that before and it didn't work i.e.

tar -Ccf /home/user/Desktop/backupthis/backup.tar /home/user/Desktop/backupthis/

Disillusionist · 01-01-2009, 02:13 PM

try:

tar -C /home/user/Desktop --exclude=backup.tar cf /home/user/Desktop/backupthis/backup.tar backupthis

mashcaster · 01-01-2009, 02:24 PM

I tried that and I get a message saying

Quote:

tar: You must specify one of the `-Acdtrux' options

Disillusionist · 01-01-2009, 02:34 PM

sorry, i missed a character!

Try:

tar -C /home/user/Desktop --exclude=backup.tar -cf /home/user/Desktop/backupthis/backup.tar backupthis

mashcaster · 01-01-2009, 04:53 PM

That is almost perfect, but it also tar's the folder "backupthis". How do I stop it from tar'ing that folder and only tar the contents of that folder?

Disillusionist · 01-01-2009, 05:13 PM

tar -C /home/user/Desktop/backupthis --exclude=backup.tar -cf /home/user/Desktop/backupthis/backup.tar .

mashcaster · 01-03-2009, 04:50 AM

That doesn't really work either, it creates a folder with a . and puts the files in that folder. Will tar not allow archive to start without creating a folder?

i92guboj · 01-03-2009, 04:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mashcaster

That doesn't really work either, it creates a folder with a . and puts the files in that folder. Will tar not allow archive to start without creating a folder?

Don't include the directory in the command line. "." is a directory

Use "*" to mean "all files in current dir" instead. You should also check shopt and the dotglob option if you intend to pack the hidden files in that dir (if any).

PS. However I can't see a problem with having ./ in front of your files in the tar file... The effect will be the same.

mashcaster · 01-03-2009, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i92guboj

Don't include the directory in the command line. "." is a directory

Use "*" to mean "all files in current dir" instead. You should also check shopt and the dotglob option if you intend to pack the hidden files in that dir (if any).

PS. However I can't see a problem with having ./ in front of your files in the tar file... The effect will be the same.

That seems to give me an error:

Quote:

mashcaster@mashcaster-desktop:~$ tar -C /home/mashcaster/Desktop/backupthis/ --exclude=backup.tar -cf /home/mashcaster/Desktop/backupthis/backup.tar *
tar: abusesingingspe00yeargoog_meta.xml: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
tar: Arabic Basics: Cannot stat: No such file or directory
tar: Desktop: Cannot chdir: No such file or directory
tar: Error is not recoverable: exiting now
mashcaster@mashcaster-desktop:~$

i92guboj · 01-03-2009, 05:05 AM

Try to cd into the directory, and get rid of that -C /dir stuff.

mashcaster · 01-03-2009, 05:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by i92guboj

Try to cd into the directory, and get rid of that -C /dir stuff.

That worked perfectly! Thanks!