Compressing a Linux tar file can be hard more especially if it is your first time to use the program. Compression of the files is important in some instances like; when backing up your files and when emailing your files. When sending files to your loved ones, you may need compression. The Linux tar directory is very useful during this process. The process involves the merging of your files into a single file which can be sent once. This allows you to send as many files as you want. People use the process and find sending files easy. If you have been using Linux but are unable to send files in big packages, you can try tar. You will be amazed by fun it is to send files. In technical terms, the file is referred to as an archive which is compressed.
GNU useful during Linux tar compression
This command is very important during the process. There are two cases where the command comes in handy. First, you can use it with remote Linux. Alternatively a UNIX server will work equally as well. The tar command will serve you in two ways. One, creation of the archive and Second is the compression of the archive. Moreover, the command can be used in the following way; tar -zcvf then archive-next name add .tar.gz and complete with directory-name. The abbreviations in this command can be explained in the following order; z represents the compression of an archive through the gzip program. c represents the creation of files. V means verbose which displays the process of archive creation. F is archiving the file name. if for instance you any directory , it is easy to carry out compression. An example can be; a directory written as follows; home/then jerry and /prog. If you are compressing the directory on Linux tar can be done as follows;
tar -zcvf then followed by prog-date –month – year, next .tar.gz and complete the Linux tar with
home jerry and prog respectively. After the process is complete, you will realize that you have created an archive file with the following name; prog-date-month and year. For instance you can have an archive by the name prog-10-feb-2012. Tar.giz. this is present in the current directory. However, you can do a restoration of the archive easily. The following commands can work out the process. This process helps you to do an extraction of the files which are present in the current directory. The command can be followed as, tar –zxvf then prog-10-feb-2010 then you can add .tar.gz. x means extract file. Furthermore, extractions of the files are in a specific directory. For instance in tmp the following command is necessary. Tar – zxvf then prog-10-feb-2012 followed by .tar.gz and you can complete /tmp.
Linux tar archiving in summary
The process of archiving sometimes may be hard. If this is the first time you are archiving using tar, it would be good that you look at the process above. This will make Linux tar archiving easier.