(tar.info.gz) assumptions

Info Catalog

(tar.info.gz) Tutorial

(tar.info.gz) stylistic conventions

 
 2.1 Assumptions this Tutorial Makes
 ===================================
 
 This chapter is paced to allow beginners to learn about `tar' slowly.
 At the same time, we will try to cover all the basic aspects of these
 three operations.  In order to accomplish both of these tasks, we have
 made certain assumptions about your knowledge before reading this
 manual, and the hardware you will be using:
 
    * Before you start to work through this tutorial, you should
      understand what the terms "archive" and "archive member" mean
      ( Definitions).  In addition, you should understand
      something about how Unix-type operating systems work, and you
      should know how to use some basic utilities.  For example, you
      should know how to create, list, copy, rename, edit, and delete
      files and directories; how to change between directories; and how
      to figure out where you are in the file system.  You should have
      some basic understanding of directory structure and how files are
      named according to which directory they are in.  You should
      understand concepts such as standard output and standard input,
      what various definitions of the term `argument' mean, and the
      differences between relative and absolute file names.
 
    * This manual assumes that you are working from your own home
      directory (unless we state otherwise).  In this tutorial, you will
      create a directory to practice `tar' commands in.  When we show
      file names, we will assume that those names are relative to your
      home directory.  For example, my home directory is
      `/home/fsf/melissa'.  All of my examples are in a subdirectory of
      the directory named by that file name; the subdirectory is called
      `practice'.
 
    * In general, we show examples of archives which exist on (or can be
      written to, or worked with from) a directory on a hard disk.  In
      most cases, you could write those archives to, or work with them
      on any other device, such as a tape drive.  However, some of the
      later examples in the tutorial and next chapter will not work on
      tape drives.  Additionally, working with tapes is much more
      complicated than working with hard disks.  For these reasons, the
      tutorial does not cover working with tape drives.   Media,
      for complete information on using `tar' archives with tape drives.
 
 

Info Catalog

(tar.info.gz) Tutorial

(tar.info.gz) stylistic conventions