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Format parameters specify how an archive is written on the archive media. The best choice of format parameters will vary depending on the type and number of files being archived, and on the media used to store the archive.
To specify format parameters when accessing or creating an archive, you can use the options described in the following sections. If you do not specify any format parameters, tar uses default parameters. You cannot modify a compressed archive. If you create an archive with the --blocking-factor option specified (see Blocking Factor), you must specify that blocking-factor when operating on the archive. See Formats, for other examples of format parameter considerations.