ttaarr [[_o_p_t_i_o_n_s]] _f_i_l_e _._._.tar is a utility that lets you read, write, and update archives in a machine-independent format. Its name is an abbreviation for _t_a_p_e _a_r_c_h_i_v_e_; however, ttaarr can read/write output to files and floppy disks, as well as to magnetic tape.
tar is now a link to the command gtar, which implements tape archiving more robustly than did the version of tar shipped with earlier editions of COHERENT. For details on how to use gtar, turn to its entry in the Lexicon.