Removing Extra Folders From a TAR

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1

I use an extremely simple TAR function for files at work and I have a question about cleaning them up.

My command is TAR -cvf ExampleTarName.tar then the folder I wish to TAR.

When my TAR finishes and I double click it to check it unarchived beautifully (I don't do this with every file, duh) a long folder bath exists before I get to the actual Folder and Files that I want in the TAR. Example:

User/myname/Desktop/To Upload/GraphicName/AfterEffectsFiles

The bolded section ALL I'd like to see TARed in my finished product. How do I make that happen?

Possibly really simple to fix! Thank you in advance!

2

Use the -C option to tell tar to change directory before archiving.

tar -C User/myname/Desktop/To Upload/ -vcf filename.tar GraphicName/AfterEffectsFiles
3

Awesome, Corona, trying now!

Am I using the right order? Should it be -vcf or -cvf?

---------- Post updated at 02:17 PM ---------- Previous update was at 02:07 PM ----------

Doesn't work.Still get a bunch of extra folders in my finished TAR. And -vcf made the Terminal explode.

I swear I read about a fix about this forever ago, any other idea out there besides change directories?

4

The order doesn't matter. Play scrabble if you want. You can also explode them into -v -c -f.

Tell me exactly what you typed, word for word, letter for letter, keystroke for keystroke. I don't think -vcf had anything to do with it, you might have accidentally dumped data into the terminal.

5

I'll have to make some text folders since I'm working with corporate sensitive things. I'll respond with screenshots on Monday, when I have more time! Thanks for you help, Corona :slight_smile:

6

I tried what I posted before I did so, and it did work. Change the filenames of course, but "doesn't work" doesn't tell me what you actually did.

I'll make an example for you.

$ mkdir -p a/b/c/d
$ touch a/b/c/d/e
$ tar -C a/b -vcf filename.tar c/d
c/d/
c/d/e

$ tar -C a/b -vcf filename.tar c/d # See, it's the same
c/d/
c/d/e

$ tar -tf filename.tar # As requested, leading folders a/b are stripped off in the tarball
c/d/
c/d/e

$