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The `--create' (`-c') option causes tar to create a new
archive. The files to be archived are then named on the command line.
Each file will be added to the archive with a member name exactly the
same as the name given on the command line. (When you give an absolute
file name tar actually modifies it slightly,
FIXME: ref Absolute Names.) If you list no files to be archived, then an empty archive is created.
If there are two many files to conveniently list on the command line,
you can list the names in a file, and tar will read that file.
FIXME: xref Reading Names from a File.
If you name a directory, then tar will archive not only the
directory, but all its contents, recursively. For example, if you name
`/', then tar will archive the entire filesystem.
Do not use the option to add files to an existing archive; it will delete the archive and write a new one. Use `--append' (`-r') instead. (
FIXME: xref Adding to an Existing Archive.)
There are various ways of causing tar to skip over some files,
and not archive them.
FIXME: xref Specifying Names to tar.
FIXME: operations should probably have examples, not tables.
To create an archive, use `--create' (`-c'). To name the archive, use `--file=archive-name' in conjunction with the `--create' (`-c') operation (
FIXME: pxref Archive Name). If you do not name the archive,
tar uses the value of the environment variable
TAPE as the file name for the archive, or, if that is not
available, tar uses a default archive name, usually that for tape
unit zero.
FIXME: xref Archive Name, for more information about specifying an archive name.
The following example creates an archive named `stooges', containing the files `larry', `moe' and `curley':
tar --create --file=stooges larry moe curley
If you specify a directory name as a file name argument, tar
will archive all the files in that directory. The following example
creates an archive named `hail/hail/fredonia', containing the
contents of the directory `marx':
tar --create --file=hail/hail/fredonia marx
If you don't specify files to put in the archive, tar archives
all the files in the working directory. The following example creates
an archive named `home' containing all the files in the working
directory:
tar --create --file=home
FIXME: xref File Name Lists, for other ways to specify files to archive.
Note: In the example above, an archive containing all the files in the
working directory is being written to the working directory. GNU
tar stores files in the working directory in an archive which
is itself in the working directory without falling into an infinite
loop. Other versions of tar may fall into this trap.
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