To extract a single file or multiple files from a large tar archive (also known as a tarball), you can use the tar command with the -x option and specify the file or files you want to extract.
For example, to extract a single file file.txt from the tar archive large.tar, you can use the following command:
tar -xf large.tar file.txt
This will extract the file file.txt from the tar archive and place it in the current directory.
To extract multiple files, you can specify them as a list, separated by spaces:
tar -xf large.tar file1.txt file2.txt file3.txt
You can also use wildcards to extract multiple files that match a specific pattern. For example, to extract all files with the .txt extension from the tar archive, you can use the following command:
tar -xf large.tar *.txt
Keep in mind that extracting a single file or a small number of files from a large tar archive can be slower than extracting the entire archive, as the tar command needs to read through the entire archive to locate the specified file or files.
For more information about using the tar command to extract files from an archive, you can consult the tar documentation or seek assistance from a qualified Linux or Unix administrator.