[plug] re; untar to directory

[Jon Miller]

I have a tarred file that has several directories before the filename:
ex: /mnt/hdd/etc/filename.tar.gz
What I need to do is untar the file to:
/etc/filename
I'm assuming if I issue the following command it will yield the wrong results
tar -xzvf filename.tar.gz /etc 
/etc/mnt/hdd/etc/filename
Is there a way to strip off the /mnt/hdd?

Thanks

Jon L. Miller, MCNE, CNS
Director/Sr Systems Consultant
MMT Networks Pty Ltd
http://www.mmtnetworks.com.au

"I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure
 is trying to please everybody." -Bill Cosby