tar Command Builder Guide

A tar command has two different path contexts: where the archive file lives and where its members come from. The tar Command Builder keeps those inputs separate and explains the generated options before you run anything.

Archive a directory without embedding its absolute path

Suppose the application is under /opt/example-app, and you run the command from /srv/backups. Select create, use backup.tar.gz as the archive, /opt/example-app as the source base, and . as the source path. Add ./node_modules as an exclude pattern.

With gzip and verbose output selected, the command is:

tar --create --force-local --file backup.tar.gz --verbose --gzip --directory /opt/example-app --exclude ./node_modules -- .

The archive is /srv/backups/backup.tar.gz, not a file inside /opt/example-app. Its member names start from . rather than the entire absolute path. Exclude patterns are matched by GNU tar; quoting prevents the shell from expanding them first.

--force-local prevents a colon in the archive filename from selecting a remote archive transport. The -- before source paths ends option parsing, including when a filename begins with a hyphen.

Creating an archive can overwrite an existing archive file. Keep the output outside the source tree, choose a filename deliberately, and remember that tar is not an application-consistent database backup or a snapshot of changing files.

Compression is explicit

The create-mode selector adds the corresponding compression option. It does not rename the archive for you, so keep the filename and format consistent:

The compressor must be installed on the machine running tar. For list and extract, GNU tar detects compression while reading the archive file; the create-mode selector is not used. This builder does not generate stdin/stdout pipelines.

List before extracting

Choose extract, set the archive path, and use a separate destination such as ./restore. Create that directory yourself first. The builder supplies this read-only listing command:

tar --list --verbose --force-local --file backup.tar.gz

Inspect the names and metadata before running the extraction command. Listing is not a malware scan or proof that the archive is safe. The default extraction command is:

tar --extract --force-local --file backup.tar.gz --verbose --directory ./restore --no-same-owner --no-same-permissions --keep-old-files

--keep-old-files refuses to replace existing files and reports conflicts as errors. Turning it off permits overwrites; extraction can still create new files even when it is on. --no-same-owner avoids restoring archived ownership, while --no-same-permissions uses the normal umask instead of requesting exact archived permissions.

Extract unfamiliar archives without root privileges, into a disposable empty directory. No generated option makes arbitrary archive contents trustworthy.

Stripping path components

For an archive member named release/config/app.yaml, stripping one component writes config/app.yaml under the extraction directory. Stripping two writes app.yaml. Entries with too few components are skipped. The preview listing shows original member names, not transformed output paths.

Directory inputs must start with / or ./, without .. segments or wildcards. Source member names are relative to the base. Enter literal values rather than shell quotes; the builder supplies POSIX shell quoting. Tilde and variable expansion are not performed. Separate source paths or exclude patterns with line breaks, up to 100 entries each.

After creating a reviewed archive, rsync Command Builder can help transfer it as part of a directory copy. For a browser-created ZIP instead of a terminal command, use ZIP Builder.

References

• GNU tar manual
• GNU tar: security