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Changing the Working Directory
------------------------------

     _(This message will disappear, once this node revised.)_

   To change the working directory in the middle of a list of file
names, either on the command line or in a file specified using
`--files-from=FILE-OF-NAMES' (`-T FILE-OF-NAMES'), use
`--directory=DIRECTORY' (`-C DIRECTORY').  This will change the working
directory to the directory DIRECTORY after that point in the list.

`--directory=DIRECTORY'
`-C DIRECTORY'
     Changes the working directory in the middle of a command line.

   For example,

     $ tar -c -f jams.tar grape prune -C food cherry

will place the files `grape' and `prune' from the current directory
into the archive `jams.tar', followed by the file `cherry' from the
directory `food'.  This option is especially useful when you have
several widely separated files that you want to store in the same
archive.

   Note that the file `cherry' is recorded in the archive under the
precise name `cherry', _not_ `food/cherry'.  Thus, the archive will
contain three files that all appear to have come from the same
directory; if the archive is extracted with plain `tar --extract', all
three files will be written in the current directory.

   Contrast this with the command,

     $ tar -c -f jams.tar grape prune -C food red/cherry

which records the third file in the archive under the name `red/cherry'
so that, if the archive is extracted using `tar --extract', the third
file will be written in a subdirectory named `orange-colored'.

   You can use the `--directory' option to make the archive independent
of the original name of the directory holding the files.  The following
command places the files `/etc/passwd', `/etc/hosts', and `/lib/libc.a'
into the archive `foo.tar':

     $ tar -c -f foo.tar -C /etc passwd hosts -C /lib libc.a

However, the names of the archive members will be exactly what they were
on the command line: `passwd', `hosts', and `libc.a'.  They will not
appear to be related by file name to the original directories where
those files were located.

   Note that `--directory' options are interpreted consecutively.  If
`--directory' specifies a relative file name, it is interpreted
relative to the then current directory, which might not be the same as
the original current working directory of `tar', due to a previous
`--directory' option.

   When using `--files-from' (Note: files), you can put `-C' options
in the file list.  Unfortunately, you cannot put `--directory' options
in the file list.  (This interpretation can be disabled by using the
`--null' option.)