Linux Tar Files

Tar is one form of file compression commonly used on Linux machines.

Compress a File

To compress a file, use the command:
tar -czvf <name_of_archive> <path_to_file_or_directory>
Where:

• <name_of_archive> is the name of the compressed file you'll create.
• <path_to_file_or_directory> is the path to the file or directory you wish to compress.
• czvf stands for:
  • c - Creates an archive (compressed file).
  • z - Compresses using gzip format.
  • v - Displays progress in terminal while compressing.
  • f - Allows specification of archive name.

Extract a File

To extract a compressed file, use the command:
tar -xzvf <name_of_archive> -C <location_to_decompress_to> Where:

• <name_of_archive> is the name of the compressed file you'll create.
• <location_to_decompress_to> is the path you wish to extract contents to.
• xzvf stands for:
  • c - Extracts an archive (compressed file).
  • z - Compression is in gzip format.
  • v - Displays progress in terminal while compressing.
  • f - Allows specification of archive name.