Archive File Formats

ARC (.arc) This format is most popular on PCs. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. PC - arc 6.02, pk361 Mac - ArcMac 1.3c Unix - arc 5.21 VM/CMS - arcutil Amiga - Arc 0.23, PKAX VMS - arcvms Apple2 - dearc Atari - arc 5.21b, pkunarc OS/2 - arc2



ARJ (.arj) ARJ is a new archive format for DOS. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. The author is Robert K Jung, robjung@world.std.com. PC - arj 2.30 (arj230.exe) Unix - unarj 2.30

BinHex (.hqx) A Macintosh format. Converts a binary Mac file, including data and resource forks, into an archive of only printing ASCII characters. Note that BinHex4.0 will create and decode the ASCII hqx encoding used on Usenet, while BinHex5.0 will decode the ASCII hqx encoding but will create a non-ASCII binary file. PC - xbin 2.3 Mac - BinHex4.0, BinHex5.0 Unix - mcvert VM/CMS - binhex

binscii ( ) A favorite Apple2 file transmission format. Similar to uu{en,de}code except it can handle multiple files in a single package. Apple2 - binscii

Compactor (.cpt) A new Macintosh format. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. Mac - Compactor1.21

compress (.Z) A Unix format. Compresses a single file in an archive. PC - u16, comprs16, comp430d Mac - MacCompress3.2A Unix - compress VM/CMS - compress Amiga - compress VMS - lzcomp Apple2 - compress Atari - compress

Disk Masher (.dms) This is an Amiga format. Compresses and stores an entire floppy in a single archive. Amiga - DMS

LHarc (.lzh) This format originated on PCs, and is now popular on Amigas. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. PC - lha 2.13 (lha213.exe) Mac - MacLHarc 0.41 Unix - lharc10 Amiga - LHarc 1.21 Atari - lharc113

LHWarp (.lzw) This is an Amiga format. Compresses and stores an entire floppy in a single archive. Better compression than plain Warp. Amiga - Lhwarp

LU (.lbr) This is an old format that originated with CP/M. It is virtually non-existent now. Collects multiple files into a single archive with no compression. PC - lue220 Mac - ArcMac 1.3c Unix - lar VM/CMS - arcutil VMS - vmssweep

MSX (.msx) A new format for CP/M machines. Is also able to extract lharc archives. CP/M - PMARC and PMEXT

nupack ( ) A favorite Apple2 archive format. Apple2 - nupack

PackIt (.pit) An old Macintosh format. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. PC - UnPackIt 1.0 Mac - PackIt3.1.3 Unix - unpit

PAK (.pak) An old PC format. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. Also the name of an Amiga format which produces self-extracting archives. Also the name of a new PC format. PC - PAK 2.51 Unix - arc 5.21 Amiga - PAK 1.0

shell archive (.shar, .sh) A Unix format. Stores multiple files in a single archive without compression. PC - unshar Mac - UnShar2.0 Unix - sh, unshar Amiga - UnShar Apple2 - unshar Atari - shar

ShrinkIt ( ) A favorite Apple2 archive format. Apple2 - ShrinkIt

Squeeze (._Q_) An old PC (CP/M?) format. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. PC - sqpc131 VM/CMS - arcutil Amiga - Sq.Usq VMS - vmsusq Atari - ezsqueeze

StuffIt (.sit) A Macintosh format. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. PC - mactopc, UnStuffit 1.0 Mac - StuffIt 1.6 Unix - unsit Amiga - unsit

tape archive (.tar) A Unix format. Stores multiple files in a single archive without compression. PC - tar, tarread, pax, pdtar Mac - UnTar2.0 Unix - tar, GNU tar Amiga - TarSplit, pax VMS - vmstar Atari - sttar

uuencode (.uu, .uue) A Unix format. Converts a binary file into an archive of only printing ASCII characters suitable for mailing. PC - uuxref20 Mac - UMCP-Tools1.0 Unix - uuencode, uudecode VM/CMS - arcutil Amiga - uuencode, uudecode VMS - uudecode2. Apple2 - uu.en.decode

Warp (.wrp) This is an Amiga format. Compresses and stores an entire floppy in a single archive. Amiga - WarpUtil

xxencode (.xx, .xxe) A Unix format. Converts a binary file into an archive of only printing ASCII characters suitable for mailing. Solves many of the problems of uuencode. PC - uuxref20 Unix - xxencode, xxdecode VM/CMS - xxencode

ZIP (.zip) This format is most popular on many systems. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. PC - PKZIP/PKUNZIP 1.10, pkz110, unzip 4.10, zip 1.0 Mac - UnZip1.02c Unix - unzip 4.10, zip 1.0 VM/CMS - arcutil 2.0 (uncompress only) Amiga - PKAZip 1.01, unzip 4.10 Atari - STZip 0.9 beta VMS - unzip 4.10, zip 1.0 OS/2 - PKZIP/PKUNZIP 1.02, pkz102-2.exe, unzip 4.10, zip 1.0

ZOO (.zoo) This format is popular on USENET. Compresses and stores multiple files in a single archive. PC - zoo 2.10 Mac - MacBooz2.1 Unix - zoo 2.10 VM/CMS - zoo Amiga - zoo 2.10 VMS - zoo 2.10 Atari - zoo 2.10 OS/2 - zoo 2.10

ZOOM (.zom) This is an Amiga format. Compresses and stores an entire floppy in a single archive. Not in common use due to program speed. Amiga - zoom