Tar - extract to alternate directory

[hcclnoodles]

Hi there, if i am in /opt and i want to extract /data/package.tar to /usr, how do I do it...How can I extract to a directoory that im not currently in ???

eg ....(this doesnt work)

#cd /opt
# tar xvf /data/package.tar /usr

cheers

 

[columb]

I'm not sure I understand the requirement to stay in /opt but you could try something like

( cd /usr; tar -xvf /data/package; )

To see this in action try

( cd /usr; pwd; ); pwd

Ceci n'est pas une signature
Columb Healy

 

[Annihilannic]

GNU tar has a -C option (a.k.a. --directory) which should do the same.

Annihilannic.

 

[hcclnoodles]

ok my tar man page says it supports | -C directory |

so

if I run

# cd /opt
# tar xvf /data/package.tar -C /usr
#

it still doesnt work, it just goes straight to the next prompt

Columb, The reason I need it to extract to different directory is because im actually issuing the command remotely and as such cannot cd into the directory (im using a single line ssh command like this

# ssh $hostname 'tar xvf /data/package.tar -C /usr'

 

[Annihilannic]

There is nothing preventing you from doing:

[tt]ssh $hostname 'cd /usr ; tar xvf /data/package.tar'[/tt]

Annihilannic.

 

[Ogzilal]

Hi,

If you haved "tared" your archive with absolute path, (/absolute/path/to/file), it will extract to that absolute path.
If you have tared you archive with relative path ( ./part/of/path/file), it may be extracted to any directory continuing with the part of path.

If you have absolute path and want to extract to another location, try pax.

sample: substiture directory1 by directory2

pax -r -f archive.tar -s/directory1/directory2/

man pax for more details

 

[razalas]

I don't know linux, but shouldn't

tar xvf /data/package.tar -C /usr

have been

tar -C /usr xvf /data/package.tar

Don't switches usually come before arguments?

Then again, it's probably the absolute path name issue that aau mentioned.

Code what you mean,
and mean what you code!
But by all means post your code!

Razalas

 

[Annihilannic]

I don't think it matters, Razalas. Unless I'm much mistaken, you can either supply or omit the "-" to no effect. Also it doesn't matter where the switches or their parameters appear in the command as long as they are in the right order, i.e. this should work:

[tt]tar xvfC /data/package.tar /usr[/tt]

Annihilannic.

 

[p5wizard]

When reading the man page for tar, I get the impression that -C flag only has "chdir" meaning for tar when creating an archive file. On extracting files, -C is treated as a restore-dir-file specification (at least that's how it behaves on AIX).

I'm with AAU on the pax route - pax should be able to read tar archives and even modify the absolute pathnames when restoring. For relative pathnames, you can chdir first and then restore like Annihilannic suggests.


HTH,

p5wizard

 

[mrn]

Why do you want to do this, why not?

cd /usr
tar xvf /data/package.tar

Mike

"Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters."

 

[Annihilannic]

Read the whole thread, Mike.

Annihilannic.

 

[mrn]

It's Friday.......

Mike

"Whenever I dwell for any length of time on my own shortcomings, they gradually begin to seem mild, harmless, rather engaging little things, not at all like the staring defects in other people's characters."