tar (computing)
In computing, tar is a computer software utility for collecting many files into one archive file, often referred to as a tarball, for distribution or backup purposes. The name is derived from "tape archive", as it was originally developed to write data to sequential I/O devices with no file system of their own, such as devices that use magnetic tape. The archive data sets created by tar contain various file system parameters, such as name, timestamps, ownership, file-access permissions, and directory organization. POSIX abandoned tar in favor of pax, yet tar sees continued widespread use.
| Original author(s) | AT&T Bell Laboratories |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Various open-source and commercial developers |
| Initial release | January 1979 |
| Stable release(s) | |
| Written in | pdtar, star, Plan 9, GNU: C |
| Operating system | Unix, Unix-like, Plan 9, Microsoft Windows, IBM i |
| Platform | Cross-platform |
| Type | Command |
| License | BSD tar: BSD-2-Clause GNU tar: GPL-3.0-or-later pdtar: Public domain Plan 9: MIT star: CDDL-1.0 |
| Filename extension |
.tar |
|---|---|
| Internet media type |
application/x-tar |
| Uniform Type Identifier (UTI) | public.tar-archive |
| Magic number | u s t a r \0 0 0 at byte offset 257 (for POSIX versions)
|
| Latest release | various various |
| Type of format | File archiver |
| Standard | POSIX since POSIX.1, presently in the definition of pax |
| Open format? | Yes |
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