TAR file format
Tape Archive
TAR bundles files and folders into one file without compressing them, preserving Unix permissions. It's usually combined with gzip as .tar.gz.
| Property | TAR |
|---|---|
| File extensions | .tar |
| MIME type | application/x-tar |
| Introduced | 1979 by Unix (Version 7) |
| Compression method | None (bundling only) |
| Password protection | No |
| Open source format | Yes |
| Built into Windows / macOS | macOS and Linux natively; Windows 10+ via tar command |
| Best for | Bundling files on Linux/macOS, software releases |
What is a TAR file?
TAR (tape archive) dates from Unix Version 7 in 1979, when it wrote files to magnetic tape. It concatenates files with 512-byte headers that record names, sizes and Unix permissions, but applies no compression — that's left to gzip, bzip2 or xz.