4.3BSD - /usr/man/cat1/ar.0

AR(1)                                                                    AR(1)


NAME
       ar - archive and library maintainer

SYNOPSIS
       ar key [ posname ] afile name ...

DESCRIPTION
       Ar  maintains groups of files combined into a single archive file.  Its
       main use is to create and update library files as used by  the  loader.
       It  can be used, though, for any similar purpose.  N.B: This version of
       ar uses a ASCII-format archive which  is  portable  among  the  various
       machines  running  UNIX.   Programs  for dealing with older formats are
       available: see arcv(8).

       Key is one character from the set drqtpmx, optionally concatenated with
       one  or  more  of  vuaibclo.  Afile is the archive file.  The names are
       constituent files in the archive file.  The meanings of the key charac‐
       ters are:

       d      Delete the named files from the archive file.

       r      Replace  the  named  files in the archive file.  If the optional
              character u is used with r, then only those  files  with  ‘last-
              modified’  dates  later than the archive files are replaced.  If
              an optional positioning character from the set abi is used, then
              the  posname  argument  must  be  present and specifies that new
              files are to be placed after (a) or before  (b  or  i)  posname.
              Otherwise new files are placed at the end.

       q      Quickly  append  the named files to the end of the archive file.
              Optional positioning characters are invalid.  The  command  does
              not  check whether the added members are already in the archive.
              Useful only to avoid quadratic behavior when  creating  a  large
              archive piece-by-piece.

       t      Print  a table of contents of the archive file.  If no names are
              given, all files in the archive are tabled.  If names are given,
              only those files are tabled.

       p      Print the named files in the archive.

       m      Move  the named files to the end of the archive.  If a position‐
              ing character is present, then  the  posname  argument  must  be
              present and, as in r, specifies where the files are to be moved.

       x      Extract the named files.  If no names are given,  all  files  in
              the  archive  are  extracted.   In neither case does x alter the
              archive  file.  Normally  the  ‘last-modified’  date   of   each
              extracted  file  is the date when it is extracted. However, if o
              is used, the ‘last-modified’ date is reset to the date  recorded
              in the archive.

       v      Verbose.   Under  the  verbose  option,  ar gives a file-by-file
              description of the making of a new archive  file  from  the  old
              archive and the constituent files.  When used with t, it gives a
              long listing of all information about the files.  When used with
              p, it precedes each file with a name.

       c      Create.   Normally  ar  will create afile when it needs to.  The
              create option suppresses the normal  message  that  is  produced
              when afile is created.

       l      Local.   Normally ar places its temporary files in the directory
              /tmp.  This option causes them to be placed in the local  direc‐
              tory.

FILES
       /tmp/v*   temporaries

SEE ALSO
       lorder(1), ld(1), ranlib(1), ar(5), arcv(8)

BUGS
       If  the same file is mentioned twice in an argument list, it may be put
       in the archive twice.

       The ‘last-modified’ date of a file will not be altered by the o  option
       if  the user is not the owner of the extracted file, or the super-user.


7th Edition                     April 29, 1985                           AR(1)