Seth...need tar conditionals

[Harald Sundt]

I have to install all these tar.gz files and my RedHat book isn't
helping much.

I try tar -xvh and such and I get a squawk these aren't zipped or tarred
or oh hell...

I remember you showed me a universal "unzip untar and go ahead and
install" command I used all the time and forgot, (it was written on the
cover of a Linux for Dummies book I sold!). What was it?

Thanks

Hal