RAR is a powerful tool which allows you to manage and control archive files. The archive is usually a regular file, which name has a ".rar" suffix.

RAR also comes in the following other editions: RAR for Linux and RAR for FreeBSD.

To use the RAR command line application, place the files in any folder on your hard drive, and call the utility by typing in the full path to the application (e.g., to run from the current directory, type "./rar" or "./unrar" followed by the appropriate parameters).

Typing the application name (rar or unrar) without any parameters will produce a helpful guide to each program's usage.

Here are some key features of "RAR for Mac OS X":

· RAR introduces an original compression algorithm. It allows higher compression ratios than other PC archiving tools, especially on executable files, object libraries, large text files, etc.
· RAR offers an optional compression algorithm highly optimized for multimedia data.
· RAR provides functionality for creating a 'solid' archive, which can raise the compression ratio by 10% - 50% over more common methods, particularly when packing large numbers of small files.
· RAR offers the ability to create and change SFX archives using default and external SFX modules.
· RAR offers the ability to create a multi-volume archive as SFX.
· RAR offers a number of service functions, such as setting a password, adding archive and file comments. Even physically damaged archives may be repaired and an archive may be locked to prevent further changes. Authenticity information may be added for additional security and RAR will store information on the last update and name of the archive.

Limitations:

· 40 days trial.

What's New in This Release: [ read full changelog ]

Modifications of switch -ag behavior:
· -ag can be used with all RAR commands, not just with archiving only;
· 'N' format character behavior differs in archiving and non-archiving operations. When archiving, it is incremented until the first unused name is found. In non-archiving operations like extracting it selects the existing archive preceding the first unused name;

· 'I' format character allows to specify minutes regardless of presence and position of 'H' (hours) in format string. It can be used instead of 'M' (minutes), when you wish to place minutes before hours or do not need hours at all.

· New -log[fmt][=name] switch allows to write archive and file names to log file in archiving, extracting, deleting and listing commands. This switch is especially useful, when you need to further process an archive created with -ag or -v switches, because -log provides the archive name generated by RAR. 3. New -@[+] switch allows to process all parameters starting from '@' character either as fi...