Linux and rar files

How to Open, Extract and Create RAR Files in Linux

RAR is the most popular tool for creating and extracting compressed archive (.rar) files. When we download an archive file from the web, we required a rar tool to extract them.

RAR is available freely under Windows operating systems to handle compressed files, but unfortunately, the rar tool doesn’t pre-installed under Linux systems.

This article explains how to install unrar and rar command-line tools using official binary tar files under Linux systems to open, extract, uncompress, or unrar an archive file.

Step 1: How to Install Unrar on Linux

On Debian and Ubuntu-based distributions, you can easily install unrar package using the apt-get or apt program as shown.

$ sudo apt-get install unrar Or $ sudo apt install unrar

If you are using RHEL-based distributions, you can use the dnf command or yum command to install it.

------------ On Fedora Linux ------------ $ sudo dnf install unrar ------------ On RHEL-based Linux ------------ $ sudo yum install epel-release $ sudo yum install unrar

On other popular Linux distributions, you can install it using your default package manager as shown.

$ sudo emerge -a app-arch/unrar [On Gentoo Linux] $ sudo apk add unrar [On Alpine Linux] $ sudo pacman -S unrar [On Arch Linux] $ sudo zypper install unrar [On OpenSUSE]

If your distribution does not offer unrar package, you need to download the latest unrar/rar file and install it using the following commands.

--------------- On 64-bit --------------- # cd /tmp # wget https://www.rarlab.com/rar/rarlinux-x64-621.tar.gz # tar -zxvf rarlinux-x64-621.tar.gz # cd rar # sudo cp -v rar unrar /usr/local/bin/ --------------- On 32-bit --------------- # cd /tmp # wget https://www.rarlab.com/rar/rarlinux-x32-621.tar.gz # tar -zxvf rarlinux-x32-621.tar.gz # cd rar # sudo cp -v rar unrar /usr/local/bin/

Step 2: How to Open/Extract a RAR File in Linux

To open/extract a RAR file in the current working directory, just use the following command with the unrar e option.

# unrar e tecmint.rar UNRAR 4.20 beta 3 freeware Copyright (c) 1993-2012 Alexander Roshal Extracting from tecmint.rar Extracting index.php OK Extracting index.html OK Extracting xyz.txt OK Extracting abc.txt OK All OK

To open/extract a RAR file in a specific path or destination directory, just use the unrar e option, it will extract all the files in the specified destination directory.

# unrar e tecmint.rar /home/ UNRAR 4.20 beta 3 freeware Copyright (c) 1993-2012 Alexander Roshal Extracting from tecmint.rar Extracting /home/index.php OK Extracting /home/index.html OK Extracting /home/xyz.txt OK Extracting /home/abc.txt OK All OK

To open/extract a RAR file with its original directory structure, just issue the below command with the unrar x option. It will extract according to their folder structure see below the output of the command.

# unrar x tecmint.rar UNRAR 4.20 beta 3 freeware Copyright (c) 1993-2012 Alexander Roshal Extracting from tecmint.rar Creating tecmint OK Extracting tecmint/index.php OK Extracting tecmint/index.html OK Extracting tecmint/xyz.txt OK Extracting tecmint/abc.txt OK Creating default OK Extracting default/index.php OK Extracting default/index.html OK Creating include OK Extracting include/abc.txt OK Creating php OK Extracting php/xyz.txt OK All OK

Step 3: How to List a RAR File in Linux

To list files inside an archive file use the unrar l option. It will display the list of files with their sizes, date, time, and permissions.

unrar l tecmint.rar UNRAR 4.20 beta 3 freeware Copyright (c) 1993-2012 Alexander Roshal Archive tecmint.rar Name Size Packed Ratio Date Time Attr CRC Meth Ver ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- index.php 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 index.html 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 xyz.txt 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 abc.txt 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 index.php 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:22 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 index.html 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:22 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 abc.txt 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:22 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 xyz.txt 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:22 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 0 64 0%

Step 4: How to Test a RAR File in Linux

To test the integrity of an archive file, use option unrar t . The below command will perform a complete integrity check for each file and displays the status of the file.

unrar t tecmint.rar UNRAR 4.20 beta 3 freeware Copyright (c) 1993-2012 Alexander Roshal Testing archive tecmint.rar Testing tecmint/index.php OK Testing tecmint/index.html OK Testing tecmint/xyz.txt OK Testing tecmint/abc.txt OK Testing default/index.php OK Testing default/index.html OK Testing include/abc.txt OK Testing php/xyz.txt OK All OK

The unrar command is used to extract, list, or test archive files only. It has no option for creating RAR files under Linux. So, here we need to install RAR command-line utility to create archive files.

Step 5: How to Install Rar in Linux

To install the RAR command option in Linux, just execute the following command.

$ sudo apt install rar [On Debian, Ubuntu and Mint] $ sudo yum install rar [On RHEL/CentOS/Fedora and Rocky/AlmaLinux] $ sudo emerge -a app-arch/rar [On Gentoo Linux] $ sudo apk add rar [On Alpine Linux] $ sudo pacman -S rar [On Arch Linux] $ sudo zypper install rar [On OpenSUSE]

Sample Output:

Loaded plugins: fastestmirror Loading mirror speeds from cached hostfile Dependencies Resolved ========================================================================================= Package Arch Version Repository Size ========================================================================================= Installing: rar i386 3.8.0-1.el5.rf rpmforge 264 k Transaction Summary ========================================================================================= Install 1 Package(s) Upgrade 0 Package(s) Total download size: 264 k Is this ok [y/N]: y Downloading Packages: rar-3.8.0-1.el5.rf.i386.rpm | 264 kB 00:01 Running rpm_check_debug Running Transaction Test Finished Transaction Test Transaction Test Succeeded Running Transaction Installing : rar 1/1 Installed: rar.i386 0:3.8.0-1.el5.rf Complete!

Step 6: How to Create Rar File in Linux

To create an archive (RAR) file in Linux, run the following command with rar a option. It will create an archive file for a tecmint directory.

rar a tecmint.rar tecmint RAR 3.80 Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal 16 Sep 2008 Shareware version Type RAR -? for help Evaluation copy. Please register. Creating archive tecmint.rar Adding tecmint/index.php OK Adding tecmint/index.html OK Adding tecmint/xyz.txt OK Adding tecmint/abc.txt OK Adding tecmint OK Done

Step 7: How to Delete Files from the Archive

To delete a file from an archive file, run the command.

Step 8: How to Recover Archives

To recover or fix an archive file or files, run the command with option rar r.

rar r filename.rar RAR 3.80 Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal 16 Sep 2008 Shareware version Type RAR -? for help Building fixed.tecmint.rar Scanning. Data recovery record not found Reconstructing tecmint.rar Building rebuilt.tecmint.rar Found tecmint\index.php Found tecmint\index.html Found tecmint\xyz.txt Found tecmint\abc.txt Found tecmint Done

Step 9: How to Update Archives

To update or add files to the existing archive file, use the following command with the option rar u.

rar u tecmint.rar tecmint.sql RAR 3.80 Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal 16 Sep 2008 Shareware version Type RAR -? for help Evaluation copy. Please register. Updating archive tecmint.rar Adding tecmint.sql OK Done

Now, verify that the file tecmint.sql is added to the archive file.

rar l tecmint.rar RAR 3.80 Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal 16 Sep 2008 Shareware version Type RAR -? for help Archive tecmint.rar Name Size Packed Ratio Date Time Attr CRC Meth Ver ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- index.php 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 index.html 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 xyz.txt 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 abc.txt 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:11 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 tecmint 0 0 0% 18-08-12 19:23 drwxr-xr-x 00000000 m0 2.0 tecmint.sql 0 8 0% 18-08-12 19:46 -rw-r--r-- 00000000 m3b 2.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 0 40 0%

Step 10: How to Set Password to Archives

This is a very interesting feature of the Rar tool, it allows us to set a password to the archive files. To password-protect archive files use option rar a -p.

rar a -p tecmint.rar Enter password (will not be echoed): Reenter password: AR 3.80 Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal 16 Sep 2008 Shareware version Type RAR -? for help Evaluation copy. Please register. Updating archive tecmint.rar Updating tecmint.sql OK Done

Now verify it by extracting the archive file and see whether it will prompt us to enter the password that we have set above.

rar x tecmint.rar RAR 3.80 Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal 16 Sep 2008 Shareware version Type RAR -? for help Extracting from tecmint.rar Creating tecmint OK Extracting tecmint/index.php OK Extracting tecmint/index.html OK Extracting tecmint/xyz.txt OK Extracting tecmint/abc.txt OK Enter a password (will not be echoed) for tecmint.sql: Extracting tecmint.sql OK All OK

Step 11: How to Lock Archives

Another interesting lock feature of the rar tool, it provides an option to lock a particular archive file after extracting it.

rar k tecmint.rar RAR 3.80 Copyright (c) 1993-2008 Alexander Roshal 16 Sep 2008 Shareware version Type RAR -? for help Processing archive tecmint.rar Locking archive Done

Conclusion

For more RAR and Unrar options and usage, run the following command it will display a list of options with their description.

# man unrar # man rar

We have presented almost all of the options above for rar and unrar commands with their examples. If you feel that we’ve missed anything in this list and you would like us to add, please update us using the comment form below.

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