tar可以为文件和目录创建档案。利用tar，用户可以为某一特定文件创建档案（备份文件），也可以在档案中改变文件，或者向档案中加入新的文件。 tar最初被用来在磁带上创建档案，现在，用户可以在任何设备上创建档案，如软盘。利用tar命令，可以把一大堆的文件和目录全部打包成一个文件，这对于备份文件或将几个文件组合成为一个文件以便于网络传输是非常有用的。Linux上的tar是GNU版本的。

-tar files and directories can be created files. The use of tar, the user can create a file for a particular file (backup file), you can also change the file in the file, or the file is added to the new file. tar was originally used to create the file on tape now, the user can create a file on any device, such as a floppy disk. Use the tar command, you can put a bunch of files and directories, all packaged into a single file, which for the backup file or several files combined into one file for the network transmission is very useful. On Linux is the GNU version of tar.