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,
[email protected].
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