Working with TAR Files
When software is not available in package format, the next most common form is a TAR file. TAR stands for Tape Archive and refers to the original use of these files, which was to archive information on magnetic tapes. The term is now used for any bundle of files created with the tar command. In terms of package management, this section refers only to TAR files that contain software that you plan to use on your system.
A TAR file is similar to a package file in that it contains files and directories, along with their ownership, permission, size, and date information. However, because a TAR file doesn't include the additional information that a package does, you don't get nearly the same management benefits. They are often ...
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