Note that this command will throw an error unless you specify the exact filename listed in the .tar file. As we’ll cover more in the next section, you can verify file names by listing contents with the tar -tf filename.tar.gz command. For sending and storing, both .zip and .tar.gz files will allow you to send relatively large packages as a single file.
WinRAR is a popular file compression & archive utility software. It allows users to create, view, and extract files in various archive formats, including its native .RAR format as well as other common formats like .ZIP, .7z, how to buy and sell bitcoins ISO, .TAR, and more. Though both .zip and .tar.gz archive and compress files, they do so in different ways. In other words, .zip is a collection of compressed files, while .tar.gz is a compressed collection of files.
But with .zip being the easier of the two to use, why use .tar in the first place? As we’ll see in the next section, .tar comes with a few extra features that make it the better compression format for certain files and applications. A “.tar” file is a collection of files compressed into a single file or archive. Short for “Tape ARchive,” the name “TAR” is a throwback to when files were stored on magnetic tape drives. A user-friendly way to extract files from a .tar.gz archive is via a Graphical User Interface (GUI).
Right-click the first result and select the “Run as administrator” option. The output shows a newly created archive example1.tar.gz. It just bundles files & directories together while preserving their file structure and metadata. This means it takes all the specified files and puts them together into one container. Ubuntu versions are usually named using an alliterative adjective and an animal name, both starting with the same letter.
- The command extracts files to a new directory called example1, which is located in the current directory.
- Since .tar.gz compresses multiple files all at once, it can take advantage of similarities between individual files to save on space.
- Where commands have little (if any) room for typos or omissions, many common errors are the result of small mistakes, misspellings, or incorrect formats.
- Most Linux distributions come with the tar command pre-installed by default.
- It allows users to create, view, and extract files in various archive formats, including its native .RAR format as well as other common formats like .ZIP, .7z, ISO, .TAR, and more.
While slightly different, they are quite lightweight and offer a much simpler alternative to using the command line. If you want to keep the original file after compression, there are two options. The first is the -k option, and the other uses the -c option to output the compressed file to a different file, preserving the original. You can just as easily unzip the resulting .tar.gz file with the decompress (-d) option. This is because most versions of tar allow both gnu and bsd style options (simplistically, gnu requires a hyphen, bsd doesn’t).
DEB is the native and most common package format Ubuntu and other Debian-based Linux distributions use. It contains compiled binaries, libraries, configuration files, and metadata required to install and manage software on a Ubuntu system. You can open most .tar.gz files using the tar command built in to Linux, macOS, and Windows 10. If you’re not comfortable with the terminal or command line, third-party tools such as 7-Zip offer a more user-friendly alternative. Some third-party tools also offer extended flexibility for converting between file types, saving more time if you want to change between compression formats.
It signifies the strong sense of community and interconnectedness at the core of Ubuntu’s philosophy. Canonical released its first official version of the OS, Ubuntu 4.10, codenamed ‘Warty Warthog’ in October 2004. Canonical released its first official version of the OS, Ubuntu 4.10, codenamed ‘Warty Warthog’ in October 2004. Bobby, an editor-in-chief at Linuxiac, is a Linux professional with over 20 years of experience. To do it all in one step, you need the tar program.
Method 2: Using File Manager (GUI)
Many of the downloadable Linux/Unix files found on the internet are compressed using a tar.gz format. Therefore, knowing how to open or untar tar.gz files is very useful. See the help file (7-zip.chm) in the install directory for more info on the command line commands and switches.
When you extract files from a .tar.gz archive, the checksum is automatically verified to detect & handle any potential data corruption. However, Windows 10 includes native support for tar files, and you can use Command Prompt to extract these files. Or you can even use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) that includes native support for Ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE, and many other distros.
The files will be extracted to the selected location. The -C option is used to specify a different directory other than the current working directory. The name “Tar” stands for “Tape Archiver” because it was used to place data on storage tapes when tar was invented.
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Generally speaking, a collection of files archived and compressed as a .tar.gz will be more space-efficient (i.e., smaller) than the same collection compressed as a .zip. The tar command also provides support for extracting only specific files or directories from a .tar.gz file. Simply add a space-separated list of the files you want to extract. Most Linux distributions and macOS include built-in tools for zipping and unzipping .tar and .tar.gz files. While the tar utility is enough for most purposes, you’ll need the gzip utility to create .tar.gz files.
This is an independent site, and producing content takes a lot of hard work. Although more people are reading Pureinfotech, many use adblocker and AI. And unlike many other sites, there is no paywall blocking readers here. If everyone finds this website useful and helps to support it, the future would be much more secure. On Windows 10, to use tar on Linux, you need to install the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and a distro like Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store. The Ubuntu logo, often called the “Circle of Friends,” comprises three people holding hands.
While extracting a .tar.gz file isn’t quite as easy as unzipping a .zip, it’s still pretty straightforward. 7-Zip is a free and open-source tool with high compression ratios & supports a wide range of archive formats. It offers AES-256 encryption to protect sensitive data within archives. Users can utilize the 7-zip command-line interface for automated & scripted extraction tasks. Gzip compression uses a checksum to make sure data integrity.
Extract Files to the Specific Directory
Most Linux distributions come with the tar command pre-installed by default. Are you facing the issue of low memory error on your system while performing basic tasks on your Windows PC? Here we list out several possible solutions for fixing this can you buy bitcoin with debit card on litecoin atm can you buy dogecoin stock on etrade error. Evaluate the performance and functionality of your CPU with the best CPU benchmark tools. Gain insights on software speed, hardware problems, and more. This simplifies file management and reduces the risk of data loss during transfers.
A GUI is more suitable for beginners than a command-line tool. Whether you prefer command-line tools or graphical file archivers, the extraction process is pretty simple. This compression is lossless – that means no data is lost during the compression process, and the original files can be fully restored upon extraction. If the command line isn’t your thing, there are plenty of user-friendly tools available to unzip tar.gz files.
How to List Contents of .tar.gz File in Linux
As you might imagine, using a different compression utility on a .tar file will result in a different double extension. Some common examples include .tar.bz2 (bzip2), .tar.br (Brotli), and .tar.zst (zstd), among many others. To unzip the .tar.gz files, you’ll need to use specific commands and tools depending on your operating is crypto a liquid asset system. Let’s explore the extraction process for both Linux & Windows platforms. Usually, tar files are more common with Ubuntu (other Linux distros) and macOS users for data archival and backups. However, Windows 10 users may also come across these files, which is a reason to have a way to extract their contents.