[vox-tech] Re: rar/unrar and nonfree packages

[Norm Matloff]

> Date: Sun, 25 Jun 2006 10:01:46 -0400
> From: "Hai Yi" <yihai2004 at gmail.com>
> Subject: [vox-tech] rar unrar and non-free package
> To: "lugod's technical discussion forum" <vox-tech at lists.lugod.org>
 
> I downloaded a rar zip file and check the debian packages and found
> the utilities like rar/unrar are non-free.
 
> Therefore the question, is there any *free* tar tools?
 
> How to proceed if I do want to purchase a non-free package?

RARLAB's utilities used to be free, but I just checked and they now are
charging for them.  However, the cost is moderate, $29.

Moreover, that seems to be only for rar.  If you just want to unpack
rar files, RARLAB's unrar utility seems to still be free.  You can
download the source code from http://www.rarlab.com/rar_add.htm  I
just tried it, and it compiled right out of the box, using

   make -f makefile.unix

People tend to make their rar package names with suffixes in ascending
numerical order, e.g. .part01.rar, .part02.rar, etc.  You run unrar on
the one with smallest numerical value, e.g.

   unrar e -kb x.part01.rar

and it in turn automatically goes to the rest.  

Norm