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(tar.info)extract dir

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Extracting Files that are Directories
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   Extracting directories which are members of an archive is similar to
extracting other files.  The main difference to be aware of is that if
the extracted directory has the same name as any directory already in
the working directory, then files in the extracted directory will be
placed into the directory of the same name.  Likewise, if there are
files in the pre-existing directory with the same names as the members
which you extract, the files from the extracted archive will replace
the files already in the working directory (and possible
subdirectories).  This will happen regardless of whether or not the
files in the working directory were more recent than those extracted.

   However, if a file was stored with a directory name as part of its
file name, and that directory does not exist under the working
directory when the file is extracted, `tar' will create the directory.

   We can demonstrate how to use `--extract' to extract a directory
file with an example.  Change to the `practice' directory if you
weren't there, and remove the files `folk' and `jazz'.  Then, go back
to the parent directory and extract the archive `music.tar'.  You may
either extract the entire archive, or you may extract only the files
you just deleted.  To extract the entire archive, don't give any file
names as arguments after the archive name `music.tar'.  To extract only
the files you deleted, use the following command:

     $ tar -xvf music.tar practice/folk practice/jazz

Because you created the directory with `practice' as part of the file
names of each of the files by archiving the `practice' directory as
`practice', you must give `practice' as part of the file names when you
extract those files from the archive.