+@node override
+@subsection Overriding File Metadata
+
+As described above, a @command{tar} archive keeps, for each member it contains,
+its @dfn{metadata}, such as modification time, mode and ownership of
+the file. @GNUTAR{} allows to replace these data with other values
+when adding files to the archive. The options described in this
+section affect creation of archives of any type. For POSIX archives,
+see also @ref{PAX keywords}, for additional ways of controlling
+metadata, stored in the archive.
+
+@table @option
+@opindex mode
+@item --mode=@var{permissions}
+
+When adding files to an archive, @command{tar} will use
+@var{permissions} for the archive members, rather than the permissions
+from the files. @var{permissions} can be specified either as an octal
+number or as symbolic permissions, like with
+@command{chmod} (@xref{File permissions, Permissions, File
+permissions, fileutils, @acronym{GNU} file utilities}. This reference
+also has useful information for those not being overly familiar with
+the UNIX permission system). Using latter syntax allows for
+more flexibility. For example, the value @samp{a+rw} adds read and write
+permissions for everybody, while retaining executable bits on directories
+or on any other file already marked as executable:
+
+@smallexample
+$ @kbd{tar -c -f archive.tar --mode='a+rw' .}
+@end smallexample
+
+@item --mtime=@var{date}
+@opindex mtime
+
+When adding files to an archive, @command{tar} will use @var{date} as
+the modification time of members when creating archives, instead of
+their actual modification times. The argument @var{date} can be
+either a textual date representation in almost arbitrary format
+(@pxref{Date input formats}) or a name of the existing file, starting
+with @samp{/} or @samp{.}. In the latter case, the modification time
+of that file will be used.
+
+The following example will set the modification date to 00:00:00 UTC,
+January 1, 1970:
+
+@smallexample
+$ @kbd{tar -c -f archive.tar --mtime='1970-01-01' .}
+@end smallexample
+
+@noindent
+When used with @option{--verbose} (@pxref{verbose tutorial}) @GNUTAR{}
+will try to convert the specified date back to its textual
+representation and compare it with the one given with
+@option{--mtime} options. If the two dates differ, @command{tar} will
+print a warning saying what date it will use. This is to help user
+ensure he is using the right date.
+
+For example:
+
+@smallexample
+$ @kbd{tar -c -f archive.tar -v --mtime=yesterday .}
+tar: Option --mtime: Treating date `yesterday' as 2006-06-20
+13:06:29.152478
+@dots{}
+@end smallexample
+
+@item --owner=@var{user}
+@opindex owner
+
+Specifies that @command{tar} should use @var{user} as the owner of members
+when creating archives, instead of the user associated with the source
+file. The argument @var{user} can be either an existing user symbolic
+name, or a decimal numeric user ID.
+
+There is no value indicating a missing number, and @samp{0} usually means
+@code{root}. Some people like to force @samp{0} as the value to offer in
+their distributions for the owner of files, because the @code{root} user is
+anonymous anyway, so that might as well be the owner of anonymous
+archives. For example:
+
+@smallexample
+@group
+$ @kbd{tar -c -f archive.tar --owner=0 .}
+# @r{Or:}
+$ @kbd{tar -c -f archive.tar --owner=root .}
+@end group
+@end smallexample
+
+@item --group=@var{group}
+@opindex group
+
+Files added to the @command{tar} archive will have a group id of @var{group},
+rather than the group from the source file. The argument @var{group}
+can be either an existing group symbolic name, or a decimal numeric group ID.
+@end table
+