Archiving and unarchiving files in Linux is an important feature that every Linux user should know for efficient file management. When it comes to compressing both files and directories, the "tar command" in Linux can prove to be a life saver. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced Linux user, it can be useful to have a good knowledge of the command that comes with its options for different tasks. In this article, we will show you how to use the tar command in Linux; complete with its syntax, options and examples.
How to archive folders in Linux (tar and gzip tutorial) – Linux Crash Course Series
Before we talk about the tar command, let's understand what an archive file is. It is a file type that consists of multiple files and directories in a compressed form. This compressed form can then be stored or transmitted with little bandwidth due to its small file size. There are many different file archive formats like .gz, tar.bz, .zip, etc. If you want to know how to handle zip files, read our comprehensive guide on how to zip and unzip files in Linux.
As for the tar command, short for "Tape Archive", it is a Linux utility used to create and manage archive files of various types. The tar command is a collection of many different types of tools with which you can create and modify archive files. The tar command allows you to create different types of archive files such as .tar, .tar.gz and .tar.bz2 that include both files and directories. All of these file types have different types of compression rates and overall file sizes.
The tar command in Linux is quite easy to use and has a straightforward syntax. Here is the basic syntax for using the tar command:
