Extract Tar Files On Linux: 30 Useful Commands - LinuxCapable (2023)

Extracting tar files is a basic task in Linux and Unix based systems. The tar utility is designed to consolidate multiple files into a single archive file. This archive file can be compressed using different algorithms like gzip, bzip2 and xz. After compression, the archive file can be unpacked with the untar command. This article provides a comprehensive overview of 30 useful Untar commands with examples. These commands help users become more familiar with extracting tar files.

Basic Untar command

Before we get into the different Untar commands, let's start with the basic Untar command, which you can use to extract a tar file.

command

tar -xf filename.tar

explanation

The above command extracts the contents of a tar file named filename.tar into the current directory. The -x option tells tar to extract the contents of the archive, and the -f option specifies the archive filename.

Extract compressed tar files

Tar files are often compressed to reduce their size. Here are some useful Untar commands for extracting compressed tar files.

1. Extract a gzip compressed tar file

command

tar -xzf filename.tar.gz

explanation

This command extracts the contents of a gzip-compressed tar file named filename.tar.gz into the current directory. The -z option tells tar that the file is gzip compressed.

2. Extract a bzip2 compressed tar file

command

tar -xjf filename.tar.bz2

explanation

This command extracts the contents of a bzip2 compressed tar file named filename.tar.bz2 into the current directory. The -j option tells tar that the file is bzip2 compressed.

3. Extract xz compressed tar file

command

tar -xJf filename.tar.xz

explanation

This command extracts the contents of an xz-compressed tar file named filename.tar.xz into the current directory. The -J option tells tar that the file is xz-compressed.

Extract specific files from a tar archive

Sometimes you just need to extract specific files from a tarball. Here are some useful Untar commands for extracting specific files from a tarball.

4. Extracting a specific file from a tar archive

command

tar -xf filename.tar path/to/file

explanation

This command extracts a specific path/to/file from a tar archive named filename.tar into the current directory.

5. Extract all files that match a pattern

command

tar -xf Dateiname.tar --Wildcards '*.txt'

explanation

This command extracts all files matching the pattern "*.txt" from a tar archive named filename.tar into the current directory. The –wildcards option tells tar to use wildcards to match filenames.

Extracting tarballs to another directory

By default, tar extracts files into the current directory. However, you can also extract files to a different directory. Here are some useful untar commands for extracting tarballs to another directory.

6. Extract to a specific directory

command

tar -xf filename.tar -C /path/to/directory

explanation

This command extracts the contents of a tar archive named filename.tar to the /path/to/directory directory.

7. Extract to a subdirectory

command

tar -xf filename.tar -C /path/to/directory/subdirectory

explanation

This command extracts the contents of a tar archive named filename.tar to the /path/to/directory/subdirectory subdirectory.

8. Extract to a directory with a different name

command

tar -xf filename.tar --transform 's/old/new/' -C /path/to/directory

explanation

This command extracts the contents of a tar archive named filename.tar to the /path/to/directory directory, but renames all files with the string "old" in their name to "new".

Checking the integrity of the tarball

Sometimes it is important to verify that a tar archive is valid and not corrupt. Here are some useful untar commands to check the integrity of tarballs.

9. Checking the contents of a tar archive

command

tar -tf filename.tar

explanation

This command lists the contents of a tar archive named filename.tar without extracting any files.

10. Checking the integrity of a gzip compressed tar archive

command

tar -tzf filename.tar.gz

explanation

This command verifies the integrity of a gzip-compressed tar archive named filename.tar.gz without extracting any files.

11. Checking the integrity of a bzip2 compressed tar archive

command

tar -tjf filename.tar.bz2

explanation

This command verifies the integrity of a bzip2-compressed tar archive named filename.tar.bz2 without actually extracting any files.

12. Checking the integrity of an xz compressed tar archive

command

tar -tJf filename.tar.xz

explanation

This command verifies the integrity of an xz-compressed tarball named filename.tar.xz without actually extracting any files.

Updating tar archives

Sometimes you may need to add or remove files from a tarball. Here are some useful untar commands for updating tarballs.

13. Adding files to a tarball

command

tar -rf filename.tar file1 file2

explanation

This command adds file1 and file2 to an existing tar archive named filename.tar.

14. Remove files from a tar archive

command

tar -f filename.tar --path/to/delete file

explanation

This command removes a specific file named path/to/file from an existing tar archive named filename.tar.

15. Updating a tar archive

command

tar -uf filename.tar file1 file2

explanation

This command adds file1 and file2 to an existing tar archive named filename.tar, but updates all files with the same name.

Working with sparse files

Sparse files are files that contain large sections of zeros, and Tar can handle sparse files efficiently. Here are some useful unzip commands to work with sparse files.

16. Extract a sparse file

command

tar -xSf filename.tar

explanation

This command extracts a sparse file named filename.tar.

17. Creating a sparse file

command

tar -Scf filename.tar directory

explanation

This command creates a sparse file named filename.tar from the contents of a directory.

Dealing with permissions and property

When extracting tarballs, it is important to preserve file permissions and ownership. Here are some useful Untar commands for handling permissions and ownership.

18. Extracting a tarball with preserved permissions

command

tar -xpzf filename.tar.gz

explanation

This command extracts a gzip compressed tar archive named filename.tar.gz while preserving file permissions.

19. Extracting a tarball with preserved property

command

tar -xpf filename.tar --numeric-owner

explanation

This command extracts a tar archive named filename.tar while preserving file ownership. The –numeric-owner option tells tar to use numeric user and group IDs.

20. Change ownership of extracted files

command

tar -xpf filename.tar --owner=username --group=groupname

explanation

This command extracts a tar archive named filename.tar and changes ownership of the extracted files to the specified username and groupname.

Extracting multiple tarballs

Sometimes you may need to extract multiple tarballs at the same time. Here are some useful untar commands for extracting multiple tarballs.

21. Extract multiple tarballs at once

command

Cat Archive1.tar Archive2.tar | tar-x

explanation

This command extracts the contents of archive1.tar and archive2.tar.

22. Extract multiple gzip compressed tarballs at once

command

Cat Archive1.tar.gz Archive2.tar.gz | tar-xz

explanation

This command extracts the contents of archive1.tar.gz and archive2.tar.gz.

23. Extract multiple bzip2 compressed tarballs at once

command

Cat Archive1.tar.bz2 Archive2.tar.bz2 | tar-xj

explanation

This command extracts the contents of archive1.tar.bz2 and archive2.tar.bz2.

Working with large tarballs

Extracting large tarballs can be time consuming and consume a lot of system resources. Here are some useful untar commands to work with large tarballs.

24. Extracting a tarball in a background process

command

tar -xf filename.tar &

explanation

This command extracts a tar archive named filename.tar in a background process so you can continue using the terminal.

25. Extracting a tar archive with progress information

command

tar -xzf filename.tar.gz --checkpoint=10000

explanation

This command extracts a gzip compressed tar archive named filename.tar.gz that shows progress information every 10,000 records.

26. Extracting a tarball with limited disk space

command

tar -xzf filename.tar.gz --checkpoint=10000 --checkpoint-action=exec='pkill -STOP tar; sleep 1; pkill -CONT tar'

explanation

This command extracts a gzip compressed tar archive named filename.tar.gz, which limits the amount of memory used by tar. When the memory limit is reached, tar will pause for a second before continuing.

Other useful Untar commands

Here are some other useful unzip commands that you may find helpful.

27. Extract a tar archive and ignore directory components

command

tar -xf filename.tar --strip-components=1

explanation

This command extracts a tar archive named filename.tar, ignoring the first directory component.

28. Extract a tarball and exclude specific files

command

tar -xf filename.tar --exclude=path/to/file

explanation

This command extracts a tar archive named filename.tar, excluding a specific file named path/to/file.

29. Extract a tarball and show only errors

command

tar -xvf filename.tar 2>&1 >/dev/null | grep -i 'error\|warning'

explanation

This command extracts a tar archive named filename.tar and only displays errors and warnings.

30. Extract a tarball and get timestamps

command

tar -xpf filename.tar --atime-preserve

explanation

This command extracts a tar archive named filename.tar while preserving the access times of the extracted files.

Diploma

Extracting tar files is a fundamental skill for anyone working on Linux or Unix based systems. The above commands provide a solid foundation for working with tarballs of all types and sizes. Whether you're extracting specific files, maintaining permissions and ownership, or working with large archives, these commands will help you get the job done quickly and efficiently. With a little practice you will become proficient in dealing with tar archives and will be able to handle more complex tasks without any problems.

frequently asked Questions