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 Changing the Working Directory
 ------------------------------
 
      _(This message will disappear, once this node revised.)_
 
    To change the working directory in the middle of a list of file
 names, either on the command line or in a file specified using
 `--files-from=FILE-OF-NAMES' (`-T FILE-OF-NAMES'), use
 `--directory=DIRECTORY' (`-C DIRECTORY').  This will change the working
 directory to the directory DIRECTORY after that point in the list.
 
 `--directory=DIRECTORY'
 `-C DIRECTORY'
      Changes the working directory in the middle of a command line.
 
    For example,
 
      $ tar -c -f jams.tar grape prune -C food cherry
 
 will place the files `grape' and `prune' from the current directory
 into the archive `jams.tar', followed by the file `cherry' from the
 directory `food'.  This option is especially useful when you have
 several widely separated files that you want to store in the same
 archive.
 
    Note that the file `cherry' is recorded in the archive under the
 precise name `cherry', _not_ `food/cherry'.  Thus, the archive will
 contain three files that all appear to have come from the same
 directory; if the archive is extracted with plain `tar --extract', all
 three files will be written in the current directory.
 
    Contrast this with the command,
 
      $ tar -c -f jams.tar grape prune -C food red/cherry
 
 which records the third file in the archive under the name `red/cherry'
 so that, if the archive is extracted using `tar --extract', the third
 file will be written in a subdirectory named `orange-colored'.
 
    You can use the `--directory' option to make the archive independent
 of the original name of the directory holding the files.  The following
 command places the files `/etc/passwd', `/etc/hosts', and `/lib/libc.a'
 into the archive `foo.tar':
 
      $ tar -c -f foo.tar -C /etc passwd hosts -C /lib libc.a
 
 However, the names of the archive members will be exactly what they were
 on the command line: `passwd', `hosts', and `libc.a'.  They will not
 appear to be related by file name to the original directories where
 those files were located.
 
    Note that `--directory' options are interpreted consecutively.  If
 `--directory' specifies a relative file name, it is interpreted
 relative to the then current directory, which might not be the same as
 the original current working directory of `tar', due to a previous
 `--directory' option.
 
    When using `--files-from' ( files), you can put `-C' options
 in the file list.  Unfortunately, you cannot put `--directory' options
 in the file list.  (This interpretation can be disabled by using the
 `--null' option.)
 

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