Windows
Linux
File Management
Archives & Compression
Windows tar.exe -tf equivalent in Linux
Lists files inside a tar archive without extracting it.
Windows
→
tar.exe -tf
Linux equivalents
tar -tf archive.tar
tar -tf archive.tar
tar -tf archive.tar
Overview
What this command does
Lists files inside a tar archive without extracting it.
Migration tip: Check the distro-specific rows before copying; package names and service names can differ even when the tool name is similar.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
List tar archive contents
Lists files inside a tar archive without extracting it.
tar -tf archive.tar
List tar archive contents
tar --help
Show command help when supported
man tar
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
tar -tf archive.tar
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: tar.exe -tf
tar -tf archive.tarReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
tar -tf archive.tar | List tar archive contents |
tar --help | Show command help when supported |
man tar | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
The equivalent is shown for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch. Some rows use a different package manager or helper tool where Linux distributions commonly diverge.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | tar -tf archive.tar |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | tar -tf archive.tar |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | tar -tf archive.tar |
Same command on this distribution. |
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