Is it possible to run a tar command in directory A which creates a tar archive in directory B out of a file...
Here's what I'm starting with:
ls "$A"
<current_directory>
ls "$B"
<nothing>
ls "$C"
my_file
Here's what I want to end up with:
tar -vczf <magic> "${B}/my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
ls "$B"
my_archive.tar.gz # contains my_file at root of archive (no directory)
pwd
<still in A>
I've read through the tar man page several times now. My only conclusion is that it would be easier to read if the flags were listed alphabetically instead of grouped by function. ;-| I feel like this problem should be solvable with some incantation involving the -C flag, but that only seems to help with obtaining the file in C. I've also been trying to overcome tar's limitations with various iterations of:
pushd "$B"
tar -vczf <magic> "my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
popd
A last resort approach would be:
pushd "$C"
tar -vczf my_archive.tar.gz my_file
mv my_archive.tar.gz "$B"
popd
This is the only thing that's worked so far. 4 commands though!? There has to be a better way.
Relevant XKCD.
shell tar
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
add a comment |
Here's what I'm starting with:
ls "$A"
<current_directory>
ls "$B"
<nothing>
ls "$C"
my_file
Here's what I want to end up with:
tar -vczf <magic> "${B}/my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
ls "$B"
my_archive.tar.gz # contains my_file at root of archive (no directory)
pwd
<still in A>
I've read through the tar man page several times now. My only conclusion is that it would be easier to read if the flags were listed alphabetically instead of grouped by function. ;-| I feel like this problem should be solvable with some incantation involving the -C flag, but that only seems to help with obtaining the file in C. I've also been trying to overcome tar's limitations with various iterations of:
pushd "$B"
tar -vczf <magic> "my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
popd
A last resort approach would be:
pushd "$C"
tar -vczf my_archive.tar.gz my_file
mv my_archive.tar.gz "$B"
popd
This is the only thing that's worked so far. 4 commands though!? There has to be a better way.
Relevant XKCD.
shell tar
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
2
Concerning the XKCD:tar --helpwould need less than 10s and is a completly valid tar command.
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:48
add a comment |
Here's what I'm starting with:
ls "$A"
<current_directory>
ls "$B"
<nothing>
ls "$C"
my_file
Here's what I want to end up with:
tar -vczf <magic> "${B}/my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
ls "$B"
my_archive.tar.gz # contains my_file at root of archive (no directory)
pwd
<still in A>
I've read through the tar man page several times now. My only conclusion is that it would be easier to read if the flags were listed alphabetically instead of grouped by function. ;-| I feel like this problem should be solvable with some incantation involving the -C flag, but that only seems to help with obtaining the file in C. I've also been trying to overcome tar's limitations with various iterations of:
pushd "$B"
tar -vczf <magic> "my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
popd
A last resort approach would be:
pushd "$C"
tar -vczf my_archive.tar.gz my_file
mv my_archive.tar.gz "$B"
popd
This is the only thing that's worked so far. 4 commands though!? There has to be a better way.
Relevant XKCD.
shell tar
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
Here's what I'm starting with:
ls "$A"
<current_directory>
ls "$B"
<nothing>
ls "$C"
my_file
Here's what I want to end up with:
tar -vczf <magic> "${B}/my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
ls "$B"
my_archive.tar.gz # contains my_file at root of archive (no directory)
pwd
<still in A>
I've read through the tar man page several times now. My only conclusion is that it would be easier to read if the flags were listed alphabetically instead of grouped by function. ;-| I feel like this problem should be solvable with some incantation involving the -C flag, but that only seems to help with obtaining the file in C. I've also been trying to overcome tar's limitations with various iterations of:
pushd "$B"
tar -vczf <magic> "my_archive.tar.gz" "${C}/my_file"
popd
A last resort approach would be:
pushd "$C"
tar -vczf my_archive.tar.gz my_file
mv my_archive.tar.gz "$B"
popd
This is the only thing that's worked so far. 4 commands though!? There has to be a better way.
Relevant XKCD.
shell tar
shell tar
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
asked Feb 23 at 11:34
Alex JohnsonAlex Johnson
1033
1033
2
Concerning the XKCD:tar --helpwould need less than 10s and is a completly valid tar command.
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:48
add a comment |
2
Concerning the XKCD:tar --helpwould need less than 10s and is a completly valid tar command.
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:48
2
2
Concerning the XKCD:
tar --help would need less than 10s and is a completly valid tar command.– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:48
Concerning the XKCD:
tar --help would need less than 10s and is a completly valid tar command.– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:48
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
Assuming $A, $B and $C are absolute paths, something along the lines of
tar -C "$C" -czf "$B/my_archive.tar.gz" "my_file"
should work: the -C parameter translates to "Change to DIR before performing any operations. This option is order-sensitive, i.e. it affects all options that follow."
You would need $(realpath $A) and friends to fix relative paths.
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
Trying this out now. I believe that should be -czf though since I'm creating the archive, right?
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:48
Good catch!candxare side-by-side on the keyboard ...
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:50
I'd been trying -C after the other flags, which wasn't working. This does!
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:54
add a comment |
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1 Answer
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active
oldest
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1 Answer
1
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
Assuming $A, $B and $C are absolute paths, something along the lines of
tar -C "$C" -czf "$B/my_archive.tar.gz" "my_file"
should work: the -C parameter translates to "Change to DIR before performing any operations. This option is order-sensitive, i.e. it affects all options that follow."
You would need $(realpath $A) and friends to fix relative paths.
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
Trying this out now. I believe that should be -czf though since I'm creating the archive, right?
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:48
Good catch!candxare side-by-side on the keyboard ...
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:50
I'd been trying -C after the other flags, which wasn't working. This does!
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:54
add a comment |
Assuming $A, $B and $C are absolute paths, something along the lines of
tar -C "$C" -czf "$B/my_archive.tar.gz" "my_file"
should work: the -C parameter translates to "Change to DIR before performing any operations. This option is order-sensitive, i.e. it affects all options that follow."
You would need $(realpath $A) and friends to fix relative paths.
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
Trying this out now. I believe that should be -czf though since I'm creating the archive, right?
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:48
Good catch!candxare side-by-side on the keyboard ...
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:50
I'd been trying -C after the other flags, which wasn't working. This does!
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:54
add a comment |
Assuming $A, $B and $C are absolute paths, something along the lines of
tar -C "$C" -czf "$B/my_archive.tar.gz" "my_file"
should work: the -C parameter translates to "Change to DIR before performing any operations. This option is order-sensitive, i.e. it affects all options that follow."
You would need $(realpath $A) and friends to fix relative paths.
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
Assuming $A, $B and $C are absolute paths, something along the lines of
tar -C "$C" -czf "$B/my_archive.tar.gz" "my_file"
should work: the -C parameter translates to "Change to DIR before performing any operations. This option is order-sensitive, i.e. it affects all options that follow."
You would need $(realpath $A) and friends to fix relative paths.
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
edited Feb 23 at 11:49
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
answered Feb 23 at 11:45
Eugen RieckEugen Rieck
11.2k22429
11.2k22429
Trying this out now. I believe that should be -czf though since I'm creating the archive, right?
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:48
Good catch!candxare side-by-side on the keyboard ...
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:50
I'd been trying -C after the other flags, which wasn't working. This does!
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:54
add a comment |
Trying this out now. I believe that should be -czf though since I'm creating the archive, right?
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:48
Good catch!candxare side-by-side on the keyboard ...
– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:50
I'd been trying -C after the other flags, which wasn't working. This does!
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:54
Trying this out now. I believe that should be -czf though since I'm creating the archive, right?
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:48
Trying this out now. I believe that should be -czf though since I'm creating the archive, right?
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:48
Good catch!
c and x are side-by-side on the keyboard ...– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:50
Good catch!
c and x are side-by-side on the keyboard ...– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:50
I'd been trying -C after the other flags, which wasn't working. This does!
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:54
I'd been trying -C after the other flags, which wasn't working. This does!
– Alex Johnson
Feb 23 at 11:54
add a comment |
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2
Concerning the XKCD:
tar --helpwould need less than 10s and is a completly valid tar command.– Eugen Rieck
Feb 23 at 11:48