Last Updated on July 10, 2021
FreeArc is a free, modern general-purpose, open source file archiver. This software runs on either a command line or a graphical user interface. The main advantage of FreeArc is that it offers fast but efficient compression combined with a good feature set.
This application includes lzma, ppmd and multimedia compression algorithms with smart selection of best algorithms for every file compressed based on data analysis. It can locate repetitions (REP), remove repetitions in texts (LZP), and pre-process executables (BCJ). Moreover, in maximum compression mode compression, algorithms are applied to data sequentially.
FreeArc provides the same compression ratio as zip/bzip2/rar/7-zip (in different modes) while being 1.5–3x faster.
Features include:
- Auto-selected LZMA/PPD/Multimedia compression.
- Solid compression with smart updates (only changed solid blocks are recompressed).
- User-definable solid block size (-s…) and file sorting order (-ds…), including customized filename ordering (arc.groups).
- AES/Blowfish/Twofish/Serpent encryption with keyfiles support and ability to chain multiple ciphers (-p, -hp, –keyfile, –encryption=ALGORITHMS).
- Recovery record.
- FAR and Total Commander plugins allow to create/browse/extract archives using the file manager interface.
- Ability to create SFX (self-extracted) archives and installers.
- Ability to list/extract archives directly from the internet.
- Archive protection and recovery, including recovery over Internet driven by CRCs of archive sectors (r/rr/-rr/–original=URL).
- Ability to test archive before and after any operation (-tp/-t), including checking by recovery record and full archive test.
- Moving to archive (m), joining archives (j), archive recompression (ch), locking (k) and commenting (-z/cw).
- Select files by size, time/age and name (-sl, -sm, -ta, -tb, -tn, -to, -n), select by/clear ARCHIVE file attribute (-ao/-ac).
- Base directory on disk / inside archive (-dp/-ap), automatic generation of archive filenames (-ag).
- Errors and warnings are reported to stderr and reflected in program exit code; –logfile option saves to the file all the information displayed.
- Configurable via arc.ini file and FREEARC environment variable; alternative settings may be selected by means of -cfg/-env options.
Website: sourceforge.net/projects/freearc
Support:
Developer: Bulat Ziganshin
License: GNU GPL
FreeArc is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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