Treat all input file or member names literally, do not interpret
escape sequences. @xref{input name quoting}.
+@opsummary{no-verbatim-files-from}
+@item --no-verbatim-files-from
+
+Instructs @GNUTAR{} to treat each line read from a file list as if it
+were supplied in the command line. I.e., leading and trailing
+whitespace is removed and, if the result begins with a dash, it is
+treated as a @GNUTAR{} command line option.
+
+This is default behavior. This option is provided as a way to restore
+it after @option{--verbatim-files-from} option.
+
+It is implied by the @option{--no-null} option.
+
+@xref{no-verbatim-files-from}.
+
@opsummary{no-wildcards}
@item --no-wildcards
Do not use wildcards.
@item --null
When @command{tar} is using the @option{--files-from} option, this option
-instructs @command{tar} to expect file names terminated with @acronym{NUL}, so
-@command{tar} can correctly work with file names that contain newlines.
+instructs @command{tar} to expect file names terminated with
+@acronym{NUL}, and to process file names verbatim.
+
+This means that @command{tar} correctly works with file names that
+contain newlines or begin with a dash.
+
@xref{nul}.
+See also @ref{verbatim-files-from}.
+
@opsummary{numeric-owner}
@item --numeric-owner
Display file modification dates in @acronym{UTC}. This option implies
@option{--verbose}.
+@opsummary{verbatim-files-from}
+@item --verbatim-files-from
+
+Instructs @GNUTAR{} to treat each line read from a file list as a file
+name, even if it starts with a dash.
+
+File lists are supplied with the @option{--files-from} (@option{-T})
+option. By default, each line read from a file list is first trimmed
+off the leading and trailing whitespace and, if the result begins with
+a dash, it is treated as a @GNUTAR{} command line option.
+
+Use the @option{--verbatim-files-from} option to disable this special
+handling. This facilitates the use of @command{tar} with file lists
+created by @command{file} command.
+
+This option affects all @option{--files-from} options that occur after
+it in the command line. Its effect is reverted by the
+@option{--no-verbatim-files-from} option.
+
+This option is implied by the @option{--null} option.
+
+@xref{verbatim-files-from}.
+
@opsummary{verbose}
@item --verbose
@itemx -v
@smallexample
tar (GNU tar) @value{VERSION}
-Copyright (C) 2013-2014 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright (C) 2013-2015 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
you specify either @code{--files-from=-} or @code{-T -}), then the file
names are read from standard input.
-Unless you are running @command{tar} with @option{--create}, you can not use
+Unless you are running @command{tar} with @option{--create}, you cannot use
both @code{--files-from=-} and @code{--file=-} (@code{-f -}) in the same
command.
@end smallexample
@noindent
-In the file list given by @option{-T} option, any file name beginning
-with @samp{-} character is considered a @command{tar} option and is
+By default, each line read from the file list is first stripped off
+any leading and trailing whitespace. If the resulting string begins
+with @samp{-} character, it is considered a @command{tar} option and is
processed accordingly@footnote{Versions of @GNUTAR{} up to 1.15.1
recognized only @option{-C} option in file lists, and only if the
option and its argument occupied two consecutive lines.}. For example,
@end group
@end smallexample
+@anchor{verbatim-files-from}
+@opindex verbatim-files-from
+If such option handling is undesirable, use the
+@option{--verbatim-files-from} option. When this option is in effect,
+each line read from the file list is treated as a file name. Notice,
+that this means, in particular, that no whitespace trimming is
+performed.
+
+@anchor{no-verbatim-files-from}
+@opindex no-verbatim-files-from
+The @option{--verbatim-files-from} affects all @option{-T} options
+that follow it in the command line. The default behavior can be
+restored using @option{--no-verbatim-files-from} option.
+
@opindex add-file
-If you happen to have a file whose name starts with @samp{-},
-precede it with @option{--add-file} option to prevent it from
-being recognized as an option. For example: @code{--add-file=--my-file}.
+To disable option handling for a single file name, use the
+@option{--add-file} option, e.g.: @code{--add-file=--my-file}.
@menu
* nul::
@command{xargs} and @command{cpio}, and is useful with the
@option{-print0} predicate of @acronym{GNU} @command{find}. In
@command{tar}, @option{--null} also disables special handling for
-file names that begin with dash.
+file names that begin with dash (similar to
+@option{--verbatim-files-from} option).
This example shows how to use @command{find} to generate a list of files
larger than 800K in length and put that list into a file called
$ @kbd{tar -c -f foo.tar --files-from list}
@end smallexample
-The interpretation of @option{--directory} is disabled by
-@option{--null} option.
+The interpretation of options in file lists is disabled by
+@option{--verbatim-files-from} and @option{--null} options.
@node absolute
@subsection Absolute File Names
projects / chaz / tar / blobdiff