How to View a Tar File's Content?

Darshita Daga -

Introduction

Before we start talking about how to view a tar file's content, let's briefly understand-What is a Tar File ?

A tar file, short for tape archive file, is a form of archive file that is extensively used on Linux and Unix operating systems. The main use of tar files on Linux is to archive and compress many files, folders, and directories in order to reduce file transfer time and space requirements.

This tutorial will explain how to view the content of a tar file without extracting it. We will also address a few FAQs on how to view a tar file's content.

How Can I View a Tar File's Content?

The general syntax is given below to view the contents of a tar file:

tar -tvf <File_Name>

The syntax is explained in the sentences that follow:

  • The tar file that the user wants to see is specified by the "File_Name" field.
  • The "contents list of an archive" option is designated with a "t."
  • The option "v" stands for "verbose," which displays more specific information about the files in the archive.
  • The option "f" indicates the name of the archive file to be viewed.

Example 1: See the Contents of a Tar File

The "tar" command and the "tvf" option, whose description is given above, are used to see the contents of a tar file. In this instance, specify "file.tar" as the file name:

tar -tvf file.tar

The output demonstrates that "file.tar"'s contents have been viewed in the terminal.

Example 2: Show the Contents of a Compressed Tar File

Specify the file name and the extension name in order to view the contents of a compressed tar file. To do this, the "compress.tar.gz" option is combined with the "tzvf" option:

tar -tzvf compress.tar.gz

The "compress.tar.gz" file's content as well as the time and date are displayed in the output.

Example 3: See Only the Files Names in the Archive

Use "tar" with the "tf" option as shown below to examine only the names of the files in the archive:

tar -tf file.tar

Only the names of the files "test.sh" and "emp.txt" are shown in the output.

Example 4: Show the Long Format of the File

The "tar" command with the "l" option is used to view the contents of a tar file along with the lengthy format:

tar -l -tvf file.tar

The terminal shows the complete details of "file.tar," including "file names," "date and time," "file location," and "read and write permission."

Example 5: Show Content of Other Tar Formats

By giving the file name, the "tvf" option can be used to display the content of various tar file types, such as ".tar.gz" and ".tar.bz2" files. In this instance, a ".tar.bz2" tar file is used to display the content:

tar -tvf file.tar.bz2

The output demonstrates that "file.tar.bz2"'s contents have been shown in the terminal.

FAQs to View a Tar File's Content

Can I view the content of a compressed tar file? 

Yes, you can view the content of compressed tar files by adding the appropriate decompression option to the tar command. For example, tar -tvzf file.tar.gz will list the content of a gzip-compressed tar file.

How can I filter the content of a tar file to display specific files or directories? 

You can use the grep command along with the tar command to filter the content of a tar file based on specific names or patterns. For example, tar -tvf file.tar | grep pattern will list only the files or directories that match the specified pattern.

Can I view the content of multiple tar files at once? 

Yes, you can specify multiple tar file names when using the tar command to view the content. For example, tar -tvf file1.tar file2.tar will list the content of both file1.tar and file2.tar.

Can I view the file permissions and ownership of the files in a tar file? 

Yes, the tar command's listing will include information about file permissions, ownership, and modification timestamps.

How can I view the content of a tar file on Windows?

On Windows, you can use third-party software like 7-Zip or WinRAR to open and view the content of a tar file.

Can I view the content of a tar file created on a different operating system? 

Yes, you can view the content of a tar file created on different operating systems, as long as your system has a compatible tar utility.

Is there a graphical utility to view the content of a tar file? 

Yes, there are several graphical file archive managers, such as File Roller for GNOME and Ark for KDE, that can display the content of tar files in a user-friendly interface.

Can I view the content of a tar file without extracting it on remote servers? 

Yes, you can use SSH and the tar command to view the content of a tar file on remote servers without extracting it locally.

Conclusion

To view the contents of a tar file without opening it, Linux has the "tar" command with the "tvf" option. With the help of this command, you may see a variety of information on the terminal, including "file names," "date and time," "file location," "read and write permission," and many more.

The general syntax and various examples to view the content of a tar file have been covered in this tutorial.

If you have any queries, feel free to mention below.