16.3 Backup and Restore Commands
# zcat file | cpio -idumB
where the cpio options indicate:
i copy in
d create directories as needed
u copy unconditionally, even replacing newer files of the same name
m retain modification times
B block I/O 5120 bytes/record
t list the table of contents of the input file
You can create your own cpio archives with cpio. cpio reads and writes to stdin and stdout, respectively.