GNU tar

GNU tar

GNU tar is an open source command line utility used to create, list, extract and manipulate archive files, such as .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, etc. It is the default utility for handling archives in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.
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GNU tar alternatives ➤

GNU tar: Command Line Utility for Creating & Managing Archives

Open source command line utility for creating, listing, extracting and manipulating archive files, default utility for archives in Linux and Unix-like operating systems.

What is GNU tar?

GNU tar is an open source command line utility used to create, list, extract and manipulate archive files, such as .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, etc. It is the default utility for handling archives in Linux and other Unix-like operating systems.

Some key features of GNU tar include:

  • Creating compressed and uncompressed archive files
  • Extracting the contents of archive files
  • Listing the contents of archive files without extracting
  • Appending files to existing archives
  • Updating files in existing archives

As a core Linux utility, GNU tar offers powerful archiving capabilities through the command line interface. It supports handling compressed archives through integration with common compression tools like gzip and bzip2. GNU tar is often used in shell scripts and other automation workflows to package up sets of files for backup, distribution or deployment.

Some common GNU tar use cases include:

  • Making compressed backups of important directories
  • Distributing source code packages
  • Deploying application code to servers

Overall, GNU tar provides flexible, efficient and standardized archiving functions that form an integral part of the Unix-style operating system toolbox.

GNU tar Features

Features

  1. Create and extract archives in tar, tar.gz, tar.bz2 and other formats
  2. Preserve file permissions, ownership and timestamps when archiving
  3. Encrypt archives for security using GPG
  4. Compress/decompress archives while creating/extracting
  5. Create incremental and differential backups
  6. Support for multivolume and large archives
  7. Remote archiving over SSH connections
  8. Archive verification and data recovery options

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Cross-platform - works on Linux, macOS, Windows, etc

Powerful compression and archiving capabilities

Widely used and well-supported standard

Can handle large archives and files

Good performance and speed

Cons

Command line only interface - no GUI

Steep learning curve for advanced features

Lacks some features of proprietary alternatives

No built-in archive mounting or browsing

No native support for some archive formats like RAR

Official Links

Official Website
https://www.gnu.org/software/tar/

The Best GNU tar Alternatives

Top Os & Utilities and Archiving and other similar apps like GNU tar

Here are some alternatives to GNU tar:

7-Zip icon
7-Zip
WinZip icon
WinZip
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AutoArchive
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7-Zip icon

7-Zip

7-Zip is a powerful and free file archiver and compressor for Windows, Linux and macOS. It has very high compression ratios compared to other popular archivers like WinRAR and WinZIP, sometimes reducing files by up to 80%.7-Zip supports most common archive formats including ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, TAR, 7z, ARJ, CAB,...
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WinZip icon

WinZip

WinZip is one of the most widely used file archiver and compressor programs for Windows. First released in 1991, WinZip pioneered the concept of zip files, which allows users to compress one or more files into a single compressed archive that takes up less storage space and is easier to...
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AutoArchive icon

AutoArchive

AutoArchive is an automatic file archiving software for Windows designed to help free up disk space. It works by allowing users to define rules and schedules for identifying old, unused files that can be moved from their original locations into designated archive folders or external drives for long-term storage.Key features...
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