How to overwrite existing files by using tar command (Remove extra files)
 

Hello,

I want to overwrite files by using tar command.

But I also want to remove extra files.

for example:
Original files.
a/1,2
TAR files
a/1'

After extraction
a/1' (Because there is no "2" file in tar file.

My question is how to delete file "2" by using tar.

since you are overwriting files, and want to delete files that aren't in the tar file - the EASIEST way is to just delete everything first.

Hi Kalibo, Welcome to LQ.

try this.

Is there no other way to delete files that aren't in the tar file after extraction?

There is too risky to delete everything before extraction behavior...

Thank you for reply.

But actually, I want to delete files that aren't in the tar file.
This command is proposed to delete file which is in the tar.

How can you delete a file that doesn't exist.;) confused ?? You want to delete file from tar or from the source dir ?

Sorry for unclear statement.

For example. I have two files under directory A.

A/aaa.txt
A/bbb.txt

1. tar directory A without aaa.txt to backup.tar
=> backup.tar *(without aaa.txt)*

2. Untar backup.tar to directory A
A/aaa.txt -> Not in backup.tar
A/bbb.txt -> Update from backup.tar

I want to remove aaa.txt because there is no aaa.txt file in backup.tar

Don't like that? rename the directory, then let tar recreate the directory + contents, then delete the renamed directory.

Same result.

jpollard,

Thank you for reply.

Because I dont have enough disk size to allocate two directories...

The option -u is there for tar. Its used to update the tar archive with new file. And then delete/dont include the aaa.txt.
Try this:

Then