(tar)File Writing Options

Scarce Disk Space

Archive Reading Options

Extracting Archive Members

Changing How `tar' Writes Files
-------------------------------

FIXME: find a better title

     *(This message will disappear, once this node revised.)*

   Normally, `tar' writes extracted files into the file system without
regard to the files already on the system--files with the same name as
archive members are overwritten.  To prevent `tar' from extracting an
archive member from an archive, if doing so will overwrite a file in
the file system, use `--keep-old-files' (`-k') in conjunction with the
`--extract' (`-x') operation.  When this option is specified, `tar'
reports an error stating the name of the files in conflict, instead of
writing the file from the archive.

`--keep-old files'
`-k'
     Prevents `tar' from overwriting files in the file system during
     extraction.

   Normally, `tar' sets the modification times of extracted files to
the modification times recorded for the files in the archive, but
limits the permissions of extracted files by the current `umask'
setting.

   To set the modification times of extracted files to the time when
the files were extracted, use the `--modification-time' (`-m') option in
conjunction with `--extract' (`-x').

`--modification-time'
`-m'
     Sets the modification time of extracted archive members to the time
     they were extracted, not the time recorded for them in the archive.
     Use in conjunction with `--extract' (`-x').

   To set the modes (access permissions) of extracted files to those
recorded for those files in the archive, use the {No Value For
"same-persmissions"} option in conjunction with the `--extract' (`-x')
operation.
FIXME: mib --- should be aliased to ignore-umask.

`--preserve-permission'
`--same-permission'
`--ignore-umask'
`-p'
     Set modes of extracted archive members to those recorded in the
     archive, instead of current umask settings.  Use in conjunction
     with `--extract' (`-x').

FIXME: following paragraph needs to be rewritten: why doesnt' this cat
FIXME: files together, why is this useful.  is it really useful with
FIXME: more than one file?
   To write the files extracted to the standard output, instead of
creating the files on the file system, use `--to-stdout' (`-O') in
conjunction with `--extract' (`-x').  This option is useful if you are
extracting files to send them through a pipe, and do not need to
preserve them in the file system.

`--to-stdout'
`-O'
     Writes files to the standard output.  Used in conjunction with
     `--extract' (`-x').

FIXME: why would you want to do such a thing, how are files separated on
FIXME: the standard output? is this useful with more that one file?  are
FIXME: pipes the real reason?