exact member names of the members of an archive, use @value{op-list}
(@pxref{list}).
+You can extract a file to standard output by combining the above options
+with the @option{--to-stdout} option (@pxref{Writing to Standard
+Output}).
+
If you give the @value{op-verbose} option, then @value{op-extract} will
print the names of the archive members as it extracts them.
Overwrite existing files and directory metadata when extracting files
from an archive. @xref{Overwrite Old Files}.
+@item --overwrite-dir
+
+Overwrite the metadata of existing directories when extracting files
+from an archive. @xref{Overwrite Old Files}.
+
@item --owner=@var{user}
Specifies that @command{tar} should use @var{user} as the owner of members
To be more aggressive about altering existing files, use the
@value{op-overwrite} option. It causes @command{tar} to overwrite
existing files and to follow existing symbolic links when extracting.
+The @option{--overwrite-dir} option is somewhat more conservative than
+@value{op-overwrite}: it overwrites metadata (ownership, permission,
+etc.) for directories, but removes other files before extracting them.
Some people argue that @sc{gnu} @command{tar} should not hesitate to overwrite
files with other files when extracting. When extracting a @command{tar}
can change the contents, ownership or permissions of any file on your
system. Also, many systems do not take kindly to overwriting files that
are currently being executed.
+
+@item --overwrite-dir
+Overwrite the metadata of directories when extracting files from an
+archive, but remove other files before extracting.
@end table
@node Keep Old Files