How to read a tarball

[Stephen Liu]

Hi Ed,

> Ahhh...  filename.bz2 is a compressed "filename".  It probably isn't
> a
> tar file or text file.  Not every file is "readable" in plain text.

Noted with tks.

Following was my finding;

On clicking the .bz2 tarball on File-Manager "Ark" will start with the
.bz2 tarball file on it.  Again clicking the .bz2 tarball there will
start another "Ark" window with all files/directories in decompressed
state but without actually decompressed.  High-light a file/directory
on the second window and drag-and-drop it on File-Manager will copy the
file/directory there decompressed.

The above is what I need, to copy files/directories from .bz2 tarball
for editing without decompressing the tarball.

My goal is to transfer data between computers on CD/DVD.  After burning
their properties change but I need to retain their original so I have
to "tar -jcpf tarball.bz2" creating a compressed tarball.  Then I get
it burned on CD/DVD.

I'm also searching another alternative.  Any suggestion?  TIA

Furthermore I don't know whether I can add an edited file/directory
back to .bz2 tarball again replacing the old one.  Some compression
will allow doing this way.

B.R.
SL