(tar)Reading Names from a File

Excluding Some Files

Characteristics

Characteristics

Reading Names from a File
-------------------------

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

   Instead of giving the names of files or archive members on the
command line, you can put the names into a file, and then use the
`--files-from=FILE-OF-NAMES' (`-T FILE-OF-NAMES') option to `tar'.
Give the name of the file which contains the list as the argument to
`--files-from=FILE-OF-NAMES' (`-T FILE-OF-NAMES').  The file names
should be separated by newlines in the list.  If you give a single dash
as a file name for `--files-from=FILE-OF-NAMES' (`-T FILE-OF-NAMES'),
that is, you specify `--files-from=-' (`-T -'), then the file names are
read from standard input.

   If you want to specify names that might contain newlines, use the
`--null' option.  Then, the file names should be separated by NUL
characters (ASCII 000) instead of newlines.  In addition, the `--null'
option turns off the `--directory=DIRECTORY' (`-C DIRECTORY') option (
FIXME: pxref Changing Directory
   ).

   Reading a List of File Names from a File

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

   To read file names from a file on the file system, instead of from
the command line, use the `--files-from=FILE-OF-NAMES' (`-T
FILE-OF-NAMES') option.  If you specify `-' as FILE, the file names are
read from standard input.  Note that using both `--files-from=-' (`-T
-') and `--file=-' (`-f -') in the same command will not work unless
the operation is `--create' (`-c').
FIXME: xref Archive Name
   , for an explanation of the `--file=ARCHIVE-NAME' (`-f
ARCHIVE-NAME') option.

`--files-from=FILE'
`-T FILE'
     Reads file name arguments from a file on the file system, instead
     of from the command line.  Use in conjunction with any operation.