How do you extract a JAR in a UNIX filesystem with a single command and specify its target directory using the JAR command?

If your jar file already has an absolute pathname as shown, it is particularly easy:

cd /where/you/want/it; jar xf /path/to/jarfile.jar

That is, you have the shell executed by Python change directory for you and then run the extraction.

If your jar file does not already have an absolute pathname, then you have to convert the relative name to absolute (by prefixing it with the path of the current directory) so that jar can find it after the change of directory.

The only issues left to worry about are things like blanks in the path names.

I don't think the jar tool supports this natively, but you can just unzip a JAR file with "unzip" and specify the output directory with that with the "-d" option, so something like:

$ unzip -d /home/foo/bar/baz /home/foo/bar/Portal.ear Binaries.war

Can't you just change working directory within the python script using os.chdir(target)? I agree, I can't see any way of doing it from the jar command itself.

If you don't want to permanently change directory, then store the current directory (using os.getcwd())in a variable and change back afterwards.