unp: A Universal Command-Line Tool for Effortless Archive Unpacking

Summary

unp is a versatile command-line utility designed to simplify archive unpacking on POSIX systems. It intelligently determines the correct unpacker to use and safely extracts contents, preventing directory clutter by wrapping multiple top-level items in a new folder. This tool supports a wide array of archive formats, making it an indispensable addition to any developer's toolkit.

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Introduction

unp is a powerful command-line utility designed to streamline the process of unpacking various archive formats. Acting as a smart wrapper around existing shell tools on POSIX systems, it intelligently identifies the correct utility needed to extract your files. A key feature of unp is its ability to safely unpack archives, automatically creating a containing folder if an archive would otherwise scatter multiple top-level items directly into your working directory, thus keeping your workspace tidy.

Installation

Installing unp is straightforward, especially if you use pipsi, a pip-like installer for Python applications. If you have pipsi configured, you can install unp with a single command:

$ pipsi install unp

Examples

Using unp is incredibly simple. To unpack an archive, just provide its filename:

$ unp myarchive.tar.gz

unp supports a broad range of archive types, including:

7zip Archives (*.7z)
AR Archives (*.a)
Apple Disk Image (*.dmg; *.sparseimage)
Bz2 Compressed Files (*.bz2)
Bz2 Compressed Tarballs (*.tar.bz2)
Gzip Compressed Files (*.gz)
Gzip Compressed Tarballs (*.tar.gz; *.tgz)
Uncompressed Tarballs (*.tar)
WinRAR Archives (*.rar)
Windows Cabinet Archive (*.cab)
XZ Compressed Files (*.xz)
XZ Compressed Tarballs (*.tar.xz)
Zip Archives (*.zip; *.egg; *.whl; *.jar)

Note that DMG support is specific to OS X, where it leverages hdiutil to copy out contents.

Why Use unp

unp stands out for several reasons. Its primary advantage is simplicity, offering a unified command for unpacking diverse formats without needing to remember specific tool names or flags. The automatic directory creation for multi-item archives ensures your projects remain organized. Furthermore, its extensive support for common and less common archive types makes it a highly versatile tool, reducing the need for multiple specialized unpackers.