Create and Extract Linux Archives with tar

Admin

October 5, 2026

7 min read

The tar command combines files and directories into one archive. With gzip compression, a .tar.gz or .tgz archive is easier to transfer and store. An archive is useful for packaging files, but by itself it is not a backup: keep important data in a separate, tested backup location.

The steps below create sample files under your home directory, store the archive beside the lab folder, inspect it, and extract it to a new temporary directory. Keep one shell open so the variables remain available.

Step 1: Create a Small Directory to Archive

Prepare Sample Files in a Lab Folder

Practice Data

Create two text files in a dedicated folder. The commands replace these sample files if you repeat the exercise. The archive will be created outside the lab directory so it cannot accidentally include itself.

LAB="$HOME/tar-practice"
ARCHIVE="$HOME/tar-practice.tar.gz"
mkdir -p "$LAB/reports"
printf 'Project notes\n' > "$LAB/README.txt"
printf 'Status: ready\n' > "$LAB/reports/status.txt"

Step 2: Create a Gzip-Compressed Archive

Pack the Lab Folder into a tar.gz File

Create Archive

In tar -czf, -c creates an archive, -z uses gzip compression, and -f names the archive file. -C changes the directory tar reads before it adds the following path. Using . includes the contents of the lab folder.

tar -czf "$ARCHIVE" -C "$LAB" .
ls -lh "$ARCHIVE"

Step 3: List Archive Contents Before Extracting

Inspect the Archive File List

Review Contents

Use -t to list the archive without extracting it. Reviewing names first helps you spot unexpected absolute paths or parent-directory components. Do not unpack an archive from an untrusted source into a system directory.

tar -tzf "$ARCHIVE"

Step 4: Extract into a New, Empty Directory

Restore the Archive to a Fresh Location

Extract Safely

Use a newly created temporary directory as the extraction target so the files do not overwrite your original lab. The command uses -x to extract, -z for gzip, and -f for the archive path. Keep the printed restore path for the verification step.

RESTORE_DIR=$(mktemp -d "$HOME/tar-restore.XXXXXX")
tar -xzf "$ARCHIVE" -C "$RESTORE_DIR"
printf 'Restored to: %s\n' "$RESTORE_DIR"
find "$RESTORE_DIR" -type f -print

Step 5: Compare the Restored Files with the Originals

Verify the Extracted Directory Tree

Check the Restore

A recursive diff with no output means it found no content differences. It returns an exit status of zero when the trees match. This verifies this practice restore; for real backups, follow your organization’s recovery test and retention process.

diff -r "$LAB" "$RESTORE_DIR"
echo "diff exit status: $?"