RAR is a 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, 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 file under Linux systems to open, extract, uncompress or unrar an archive file.
Step 1: How to Install Unrar in 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
Fedora distribution, you can use the
dnf command to install it.
$ sudp dnf install unrar
--------------- On 64-bit ---------------
# cd /tmp
# wget https://www.rarlab.com/rar/rarlinux-x64-5.6.0.tar.gz
# tar -zxvf rarlinux-x64-5.6.0.tar.gz
# cd rar
# sudo cp -v rar unrar /usr/local/bin/
--------------- On 32-bit ---------------
# cd /tmp
# wget https://www.rarlab.com/rar/rarlinux-5.6.0.tar.gz
# tar -zxvf rarlinux-5.6.0.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 current working directory, just use the following command with 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 specific path or destination directory, just use the unrar e option, it will extract all the files in 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 their original directory structure. just issue below command with unrar x option. It will extract according their folder structure see below 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 a files inside a archive file use 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 an integrity of a 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 any 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 RAR command option in Linux, just execute following command.
# sudo apt-get install rar
# sudo dnf install rar
# yum install rar
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 a archive(RAR) file in Linux, run the following command with rar a option. It will create 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 Archive
To delete a file from a archive file, run the command.
rar d filename.rar
Step 8: How to Recover Archives
To recover or fix a 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 existing archive file, use the following command with 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 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 very interesting feature from Rar tool, it allows us to set a password to archive file. To password protect archive file 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 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 password (will not be echoed) for tecmint.sql:
Extracting tecmint.sql OK
All OK
Step 11: How to Lock Archives
Another interesting lock feature from rar tool, it provides a option to lock a particular archive file from 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 mor 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 comment form below.
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