tar -xf is not really special combining short options isn’t uncommon.
Where tar is nonstandard is that you can leave out the -, tar xf is actually how POSIX specifies it. And we’ve kinda come full circle on that one with many modern utilities using a command syntax, you can read tar xf as “tar extract file” just as you can read git pull as, well, “git pull”.
If you want to see a standard command with truly non-standard syntax have a look at dd.
Many do as it’s considered good practice, but it’s not guaranteed, it just depends on the individual command (program). Usually you can use the --help option to see all the options, so for instance tar --help.
Most commands will have expanded arguments started with 2 dashes that usually look like ‘–verbose-name-of-option’, they’re usually listed in the man page/documentation along with the abbreviated letter version
Does every Linux command have options as words instead of single letters?
Tar is as old as IT, that’s why it’s syntax is a bit special.
tar -xfis not really special combining short options isn’t uncommon.Where tar is nonstandard is that you can leave out the
-,tar xfis actually how POSIX specifies it. And we’ve kinda come full circle on that one with many modern utilities using a command syntax, you can readtar xfas “tar extract file” just as you can readgit pullas, well, “git pull”.If you want to see a standard command with truly non-standard syntax have a look at
dd.Nono, dash-parameters are new in fancy GNU tar. And POSIX is not old.
Many do as it’s considered good practice, but it’s not guaranteed, it just depends on the individual command (program). Usually you can use the
--helpoption to see all the options, so for instancetar --help.Most commands will have expanded arguments started with 2 dashes that usually look like ‘–verbose-name-of-option’, they’re usually listed in the man page/documentation along with the abbreviated letter version