tar: using tar options

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1 3.2 Using 'tar' Options
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1 
1 GNU 'tar' has a total of eight operating modes which allow you to
1 perform a variety of tasks.  You are required to choose one operating
1 mode each time you employ the 'tar' program by specifying one, and only
1 one operation as an argument to the 'tar' command (the corresponding
DONTPRINTYET 1 options may be found at ⇒frequent operations and *note1DONTPRINTYET 1 options may be found at ⇒frequent operations and ⇒
 Operations).  Depending on circumstances, you may also wish to
1 customize how the chosen operating mode behaves.  For example, you may
1 wish to change the way the output looks, or the format of the files that
1 you wish to archive may require you to do something special in order to
1 make the archive look right.
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1    You can customize and control 'tar''s performance by running 'tar'
1 with one or more options (such as '--verbose' ('-v'), which we used in
1 the tutorial).  As we said in the tutorial, "options" are arguments to
1 'tar' which are (as their name suggests) optional.  Depending on the
1 operating mode, you may specify one or more options.  Different options
1 will have different effects, but in general they all change details of
1 the operation, such as archive format, archive name, or level of user
1 interaction.  Some options make sense with all operating modes, while
1 others are meaningful only with particular modes.  You will likely use
1 some options frequently, while you will only use others infrequently, or
11 not at all.  (A full list of options is available in ⇒All
 Options.)
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1    The 'TAR_OPTIONS' environment variable specifies default options to
1 be placed in front of any explicit options.  For example, if
1 'TAR_OPTIONS' is '-v --unlink-first', 'tar' behaves as if the two
1 options '-v' and '--unlink-first' had been specified before any explicit
1 options.  Option specifications are separated by whitespace.  A
1 backslash escapes the next character, so it can be used to specify an
1 option containing whitespace or a backslash.
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1    Note that 'tar' options are case sensitive.  For example, the options
1 '-T' and '-t' are different; the first requires an argument for stating
1 the name of a file providing a list of NAMEs, while the second does not
1 require an argument and is another way to write '--list' ('-t').
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1    In addition to the eight operations, there are many options to 'tar',
1 and three different styles for writing both: long (mnemonic) form, short
1 form, and old style.  These styles are discussed below.  Both the
1 options and the operations can be written in any of these three styles.
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