{"id":48292,"date":"2022-08-03T18:48:16","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T18:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/?p=48292"},"modified":"2023-10-22T11:00:45","modified_gmt":"2023-10-22T11:00:45","slug":"how-to-create-tar-gz-archive-using-tar-command-on-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linuxiac.com\/how-to-create-tar-gz-archive-using-tar-command-on-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create tar.gz Archive Using the tar Command on Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Using the tar<\/code> command to create tar.gz<\/code> archives in Linux is a must-have skill for any Linux administrator. For this reason, in this article, we will show you how to create tar.gz<\/code> archives in Linux using real-world examples following best practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, if you want to learn how to extract tar.gz<\/code> files in Linux, check out our excellent guide, “How to Extract tar.gz File in Linux by Using the Command Line<\/a>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’ve probably already met files with the extensions tar<\/code>, tar.gz<\/code>, or tar.bz2<\/code>, for example. Although they are all archives, there is a difference between them. So, before we get into the practicality, we’d want to shed some light on the difference is between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Difference Between TAR, TAR.GZ, and TAR.BZ2?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tar stands for “Tape Archive” because it was used to place data on storage tapes when tar was invented. It’s a common file format in the Linux\/UNIX systems that packages files together for backup or distribution purposes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now something vital to keep in mind. The tar archive is nothing more than an archive. In other words, there is no compression involved, just putting multiple files into a single (tar<\/code>) file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, to obtain a compression of the final TAR archive, an extra tool such as GZIP<\/a> or BZIP2<\/a> must be involved during its creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, when GZIP is applied, the resulting file has the tar.gz<\/code> extension. If BZIP2 is used, the file gets the tar.bz2<\/code> extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, having made these clarifications, let’s get to the meat of the subject, how to create a tar.gz<\/code> archive in Linux using the tar<\/code> command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating TAR Archive File<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The general syntax for the tar<\/code> command is as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n

tar [OPTIONS] [ARCHIVE_NAME] [FILE_NAMES]<\/code><\/span>Code language:<\/span> Bash<\/span> (<\/span>bash<\/span>)<\/span><\/small><\/pre>\n\n\n
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In Linux, the tar<\/code> command has numerous options, but the most important and commonly used ones when creating an archive are listed below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n