What is it

Ark is a graphical file compression/decompression utility with support for multiple formats. Ark can be used to browse, extract, create, and modify archives.

Supported read-write formats

Supported read-only formats

The notes about lrzip, lzop and zstd binaries apply also here.

Plugins

The support for all the above formats in Ark is implemented in a number of plugins that can be enabled/disabled by the user. More than one plugin can support the same format. An archive whose format is supported by more than one plugin, will be open using the enabled plugin with higher priority.

The plugins currently available in ark are the following:

• Libzip plugin: supports the Zip format by using the libzip library.
• 7-Zip plugin: supports the 7-Zip format by using the 7z binary.
  • Supports both the upstream 7-Zip binary and the binary from a p7zip fork shipped by Archlinux et al.
• Unarchiver plugin: supports the RAR, LHA and Stuffit formats in read-only mode. Requires the lsar and unar binaries from the unarchiver project.
• RAR plugin: supports the RAR format by using the unrar binary. Requires the proprietary rar binary to enable read-write mode support to create RAR archives.
• Info-zip plugin (legacy): supports the Zip format by using the zip binary.
• ARJ plugin: supports the ARJ format by using the arj binary.
• Libarchive plugin: supports everything else by using the libarchive library and optionally the lrzip, lzop and zstd binaries.
  • Supports also the 7-Zip format, but only without encryption.

Contributing to ARK

Please refer to the contributing document for everything you need to know to get started contributing to ARK.