cli-tarHow do I use the command line to tar and zip files?

The command line can be used to tar and zip files using the tar and gzip commands. To tar a file, use the tar command followed by the cvf flags and the desired filename, e.g. tar cvf mytarfile.tar myfile.txt. This will create a tar file named mytarfile.tar containing the file myfile.txt. To zip the tar file, use the gzip command followed by the desired filename, e.g. gzip mytarfile.tar. This will create a zipped tar file named mytarfile.tar.gz.

Example code

tar cvf mytarfile.tar myfile.txt
gzip mytarfile.tar

Output example

mytarfile.tar.gz

Code explanation

• tar: the command used to create a tar file
• cvf: flags used to create a tar file
• mytarfile.tar: the desired filename for the tar file
• myfile.txt: the file to be tarred
• gzip: the command used to zip a file
• mytarfile.tar.gz: the desired filename for the zipped tar file

Helpful links

• Gnu Tar Manual
• Gzip Manual

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