Using RAR in Linux: Guide and Samples
Nowadays almost everyone who had ever used a computer knows what a file archiver is. It represents a program that combines a number of files together into an archive file for easier storage. Although many users consider that file archivers are used to compress the data in order to reduce the size of the archive, their functions are not limited to that. For instance, the most basic archivers just take files and create an archive without compressing them.
There are multiple compression algorithms available to compress data. You should remember that some kinds of data can be highly compressed and some kinds of data do not benefit from compression. At the moment archive formats are also used to package software files for distribution, installation, and execution.
Let’s see what the most popular archive formats are and what they are used for. All of them are divided into 5 different types:
1. Archiving only formats (only combine files):
- ar, cpio, tar and etc.
2. Compression only formats (only compress files):
- gzip, bzip2, LZMA, compress and etc.
3. Multi-function formats can combine, compress, encrypt, create error detection and recovery information, and repackage the archive into self-extracting/self-expanding files:
- 7z, ACE, ARC, cpt, dmg, GCA, kgb, LZX, RAR, qda, ZIP and etc.
4. Software Packaging formats are used to create software packages that may be self-installing files:
- deb, pkg, RPM, MSI, JAR and etc.
5. Disk Image formats are used to create disk images or optical disk images of mass storage volumes:
- OEB Package Format, OEBPS Container Format, Open Packaging Conventions and etc.
If you would like to learn more about archive formats, please visit this page.
Most likely you’ve already understood that in the given post we are not going to review all the archive formats, but the most popular one – RAR.
As it was mentioned before RAR is a multi-function archive file format that supports data compression, error recovery, file spanning and etc. Though at the moment it’s licensed by Win.rar GmbH, it was originally developed by Russian software engineer – Eugene Roshal (RAR comes from Roshal ARchive).
You should know that RAR files can be created only using commercial software and the one that has permission from the author. In fact the only freeware that can be used to create RAR files is RAR for Pocket PC.