Hello again.

I'm making an attempt to understand the syntax in the MAN help pages.

I'm looking at the TAR function and the syntax doesn't make scene to me.

Here is an example of what I don't understand.

-d, --diff, --compare
find difference between archive and file system.

The question is does it work like this: -d --compare ...(rest of command).

-c, --directory=DIR
change to directory DIR (are the -- entries modifiers to the - command)

--checkpoint
print directory names while reading the archive (is the --checkpoint included in the command string as is) how is it written?

I'm using Suse 9.2. Getting to understand how the syntax works in the MAN help file will go along way to help me run this by myself.

Thanks.

Those are alternative ways for doing it, hence the
commas.

You wouldn't be using all three but just one of the
options.

To get a better feel for how tar works, read info tar
and tar --help



Cheers,
Tink

Each option listed is an alternate way of saying the same thing. "-d" is equivalent to "--diff" and it's equivalent to "--compare". All of them mean the same thing, and you only need one of them on the command line.

Again, both formats say the same thing, but it's slightly different from above. This option requires more information from the user (as evidenced by the "=DIR" portion). You can use either form "-c" or "--directory" but both must have a directory option. For "-c" the command line would look something like "tar -c directory_name". For "--directory" it would look something like "tar --directory=directory_name". Slightly different formatting, but again, the same meaning. Only one needs to be present on the command line.

EDIT: Beaten to the punch.... again... by Tink

Thank you for your quick reply.
I see the light.

This will also work

diff /path to file/file name /path to second file/filename
You can also send the output to a file by;
>out put file name to write to

hence: diff /path to first file/file name /path to second file/file name >output file