lrzuntar

View documentation for the original command

$ tldr lrztar

lrzuntar [options] [destination_directory]

-d <directory>
    Specifies the destination directory where the received archive should be untarred. If omitted, the current directory would likely be used.

-v
    Enables verbose output, showing the progress of both the file transfer and the extraction process.

-z
    Indicates that the received archive is Gzip compressed (like tar -z).

-j
    Indicates that the received archive is Bzip2 compressed (like tar -j).

-J
    Indicates that the received archive is XZ compressed (like tar -J).

-k
    Keeps existing files; prevents overwriting files during extraction (like tar -k).

lrzuntar is not a standard Linux command or utility. It appears to be a conceptual combination of the lrz command (part of the lrzsz package, used for ZMODEM/YMODEM/XMODEM file transfers over serial lines or pseudo-terminals) and the tar command (used for archiving and extracting files).

If lrzuntar were to exist as a script or custom alias, its primary function would likely be to receive an archive file (e.g., a .tar, .tar.gz, or .tgz file) via a ZMODEM transfer and then automatically extract its contents into the current directory or a specified location. This would streamline a common workflow for users transferring compressed archives over legacy serial connections or similar setups where ZMODEM is still employed.

Given its non-standard nature, the exact behavior, options, and error handling would depend entirely on its implementation. Users encountering this command should verify its source or definition within their environment.

This command is not a standard Linux utility. Its behavior, existence, and available options depend entirely on whether it has been custom-defined as an alias, script, or executable in a specific environment. There is no official documentation for lrzuntar as a standalone command. Users should exercise caution and inspect its definition before use.

A user connects to a remote system via a serial console (e.g., using minicom or picocom) and needs to transfer a compressed archive from the remote system to their local machine. Instead of first using lrz to receive the .tar.gz file and then manually running tar -xzf on it, a custom lrzuntar script on the local machine could receive the file and immediately untar it, automating the process.

A typical lrzuntar script might look something like this in pseudocode:
TEMP_FILE=$(lrz --force-overwrite)
if [ $? -eq 0 ] && [ -n "$TEMP_FILE" ]; then
  tar -xf "$TEMP_FILE" --directory=<destination_dir>
  rm "$TEMP_FILE"
fi
The complexity would increase to handle various compression types (-z, -j, -J) or error conditions.

The concept of lrzuntar likely stems from the common need to automate file transfer and extraction processes in environments using serial communication. lrz and tar have been fundamental tools in Unix-like systems for decades. lrz (part of the lrzsz package) emerged for reliable file transfers over serial lines, predating widespread network access. tar dates back to the early days of Unix for tape archiving. A hypothetical lrzuntar would represent a user-created convenience wrapper, combining these two classic utilities to simplify a multi-step operation into a single command.

lrz(1), tar(1), rz(1), sz(1), unzip(1), gzip(1)