ar(1) — Commands
NAME
ar − archive and library maintainer
SYNOPSIS
ar [mrxtdpqhw] [uvcbailosz] [posname] archive file1 ... fileN
DESCRIPTION
The archiver (ar) maintains groups of files as a single archive file. Generally, you use this utility to create and update library files that the link editor uses; however, you can use the archiver for any similar purpose.
In the text, option refers to a character (from the set mrxtdpqhw) that you can concatenate with one or more of uvcbailosz . A suboption refers to options (from the set uvcbailosz) that you can only use with other options.
The ar(1) archiver supports file names up to the operating system limit.
FLAGS
The following list describes the options:
mMoves the specified files to the end of the archive. If you specify a positioning character, you must also specify the posname (as in option r) to tell the archiver where to move the files.
rReplaces the specified files in the archive file. If you use the suboption u with r, the archiver only replaces those files that have ‘last-modified’ dates later than the archive files. If you use a positioning character (from the set abi) you must specify the posname argument to tell the archiver to put the new files after (a) or before (b or i). Otherwise, the archiver puts new files at the end of the archive.
xExtracts the specified files from the archive. If you do not specify any file names, the archiver extracts all files. When it extracts files, the archiver does not change any file. Normally, the ‘last-modified’ date for each extracted file shows the date when someone extracted it; however, when you use o, the archiver resets the ‘last-modified’ date to the date recorded in the archive.
tPrints a table of contents for the files in the archive file. If you do not specify any file names, the archiver builds a table of contents for all files. If you specify file names, the archiver builds a table of contents only for those files.
dDeletes the specified files from the archive file.
pPrints the specified files from the archive.
qAppends the specified files to the end of the archive file. The archiver does not accept suboption positioning characters with the q option. It also does not check whether the files you want to add already exist in the archive. Use the q option only to avoid quadratic behavior when you create a large archive piece by piece.
hSets the file modification times in the member headers of the named files to the current date and time. If you do not specify any filenames, ar sets the time stamps of all member headers.
wDisplays the archive symbol table. Each symbol is listed with the name of the archive member which defines the symbol.
The following list describes the suboptions:
aSpecifies that the file goes after the existing file (posname). Use this suboption with the m or r options.
bSpecifies that the file goes before the existing file (posname). Use this suboption with the m or r options.
cSuppresses the normal message that the archiver prints when it creates the specified archive file. Normally, the archiver creates the specified archiver file when it needs to. The c flag is a suboption of the r and q options.
iSpecifies that the file goes before the existing file (posname). Use this suboption with the m or r options.
lPlaces temporary files in the local directory. If the l option is not used then the value of the environment symbol, TMPDIR, is used as the directory for temporary files. If TMPDIR is not defined or if the directory it references is not writable then /tmp is used.
oForces a newly created file to have the ‘last modified’ date that it had before it was extracted from the archive. Use this suboption with the x option.
sMakes a symbol definition (symdef file) as the first file of an archive. This file contains a hash table of ranlib structures and a corresponding string table. If you change the archive contents, the symdef file becomes obsolete because the archive file’s name changes. The ar command builds the symbol table by default. Archives include member objects based on the definition of a common object only.
uPrevents the archiver from replacing an existing file unless the replacement is newer than the existing file. This option uses the UNIX system ‘last modified’ date for this comparison. Use this suboption with the r option.
vGives a verbose file-by-file description as the archiver makes a new archive file from an old archive and its constituent files. When you use this option with t, the archiver lists all information about the files in the archive. When you use this option with p, the archiver precedes each file with a name.
zSuppresses symbol table building.
RESTRICTIONS
If you specify the same file twice in an argument list, it can appear twice in the archive file.
The o option does not change the ‘last-modified’ date of a file unless you own the extracted file or you are the super-user.
The s option is not operative as ar will always build the hash table by default unless the z option is specified.
FILES
/tmp/v∗Temporary files