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 Absolute File Names
 -------------------
 
      _(This message will disappear, once this node revised.)_
 
 `-P'
 `--absolute-names'
      Do not strip leading slashes from file names, and permit file names
      containing a `..' file name component.
 
    By default, GNU `tar' drops a leading `/' on input or output, and
 complains about file names containing a `..' component.  This option
 turns off this behavior.
 
    When `tar' extracts archive members from an archive, it strips any
 leading slashes (`/') from the member name.  This causes absolute
 member names in the archive to be treated as relative file names.  This
 allows you to have such members extracted wherever you want, instead of
 being restricted to extracting the member in the exact directory named
 in the archive.  For example, if the archive member has the name
 `/etc/passwd', `tar' will extract it as if the name were really
 `etc/passwd'.
 
    File names containing `..' can cause problems when extracting, so
 `tar' normally warns you about such files when creating an archive, and
 rejects attempts to extracts such files.
 
    Other `tar' programs do not do this.  As a result, if you create an
 archive whose member names start with a slash, they will be difficult
 for other people with a non-GNU `tar' program to use.  Therefore, GNU
 `tar' also strips leading slashes from member names when putting
 members into the archive.  For example, if you ask `tar' to add the
 file `/bin/ls' to an archive, it will do so, but the member name will
 be `bin/ls'.
 
    If you use the `--absolute-names' (`-P') option, `tar' will do none
 of these transformations.
 
    To archive or extract files relative to the root directory, specify
 the `--absolute-names' (`-P') option.
 
    Normally, `tar' acts on files relative to the working
 directory--ignoring superior directory names when archiving, and
 ignoring leading slashes when extracting.
 
    When you specify `--absolute-names' (`-P'), `tar' stores file names
 including all superior directory names, and preserves leading slashes.
 If you only invoked `tar' from the root directory you would never need
 the `--absolute-names' (`-P') option, but using this option may be more
 convenient than switching to root.
 
 `--absolute-names'
      Preserves full file names (including superior directory names) when
      archiving files.  Preserves leading slash when extracting files.
 
    `tar' prints out a message about removing the `/' from file names.
 This message appears once per GNU `tar' invocation.  It represents
 something which ought to be told; ignoring what it means can cause very
 serious surprises, later.
 
    Some people, nevertheless, do not want to see this message.  Wanting
 to play really dangerously, one may of course redirect `tar' standard
 error to the sink.  For example, under `sh':
 
      $ tar -c -f archive.tar /home 2> /dev/null
 
 Another solution, both nicer and simpler, would be to change to the `/'
 directory first, and then avoid absolute notation.  For example:
 
      $ (cd / && tar -c -f archive.tar home)
      $ tar -c -f archive.tar -C  / home
 

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