How to Create and Extract RAR Files in Linux

I've been sharing mp3s with my close friends for years. We share mp3 files within our same interest in music. As I'm now a total Linux desktop user (I didn't use windows anymore ), I have to find way to create and extract RAR files in Linux since we share the files in compressed RAR files in less than 5MB split.

I always think that my findings in my Linux journey can also help others... So, here is the way to create RAR file in Ubuntu Linux.



First, make sure you have already install unrar and rar which you can get it by issuing this command in your terminal (Application > Accessories > Terminal) ...

$ sudo apt-get install rar unrar

In order to create RAR file, you can just right click on the selected files and click on "Create Archive...", select .rar on the archive dropdown and click on "Create". But, if you wanna extra control, you can use your great powerful terminal to do so. Here's what I do to Create a RAR file splitted to less than 5MB parts...



Open up your terminal and cd to directory with your file to RAR and split. As it is on my /home/dasurendra/Music directory, I'm going there to find my files. [Note: just type the command in bold without the dollar sign]



$ cd /home/dasurendra/Music

$ ls -lh *.mp3

-rw-r--r-- 1 dasurendra dasurendra 6.7M 2008-03-10 16:21 Senandung-nepoli.mp3



then I issue this command to create RAR file containing this mp3 file. I want each part to be less than 4MB...



$ rar a -v4000k Senandung-malam.mp3.rar Senandung-malam.mp3

RAR 3.70 beta 1 Copyright (c) 1993-2007 Alexander Roshal 8 Jan 2007

Shareware version Type RAR -? for help



Evaluation copy. Please register.



Creating archive nepoli..mp3.rar



Adding nepoli.mp3

Calculating the control sum



Creating archive Senandung-malam.mp3.part2.rar



... nepoli..mp3 OK

Calculating the control sum

Done

$



Now I have two parts of rar files. Extracting these files should be more simpler on GUI. Check it out on my previous post on How to Extract RAR files in Ubuntu Linux. In case of many parts, just right click on the first part and choose extract here.



In order to do it in your terminal, just issue this command...



$ unrar e nepoli..mp3.part1.rar .



The program will find for the continuous parts and extract the file. That's all.. Hope it helps you... Good Luck and have fun!

Categories: linux