SupportedFormats

Supported popular formats

Format	Support level	Notes
Zip	Full	Full support for the normal zip format, with additional support for AES encryption, Zip64 extensions for large files, Mac OS extensions of many different kinds, and several unusual compression methods (Deflate64, Bzip, LZMA, PPMd). Can also extract .EXE self-extracting files using Zip.
RAR	Full	Including encryption and multiple volumes. Can also extract .EXE self-extracting files using RAR.
7z	No encryption	Most compression methods are supported, but no encryption. Also supports Unix extensions.
Tar	Full
Gzip	Full
Bzip2	Full
LZMA, XZ	Full	Both the old "LZMA-alone" format, usually named .lzma, and the new .xz format.
CAB	Full
MSI	Full	This format is also used by many other Microsoft formats, meanings that you can use The Unarchiver to extract internal data from DOC and PPT files, and others. There is probably no reason to do this, but you can.
NSIS	Extensive	Supports many different versions, starting from version 1.1o
EXE	Some	Many kinds of .exe self-extracting formats are supported. However, if you find one that is not, please post an issue on the bug tracker.
ISO	Full	ISO 9660 CDROM filesystem images, and also .bin raw images.
Split files	Basic	Can join files named .001, .002 that do not use any extra wrapper format.

Format	Support level	Was popular on	Notes
StuffIt	No encryption	Mac OS	Can unpack all files I've been able to locate.
StuffIt X	Partial	Mac OS	Can unpack many files, some more obscure features are still unsupported. JPEG compression is also unsupported.
DiskDoubler	Almost full	Mac OS	All compression algorithms are implemented, but a few rare ones are untested. If you have some files that do not work, please post them in issue 149 on the bug tracker.
Compact Pro	No encryption	Mac OS
PackIt	Full	Mac OS
Cpio	Full	Unix
Compress (.Z)	Full	Unix
ARJ	No multi-part	DOS
ARC, PAK	Full	DOS	Full support for all algorithms, including proprietary ones from PAK. Encryption only works in command-line utilities.
Ace	Only old files	DOS	No support for Ace 2.0 and up (WinAce).
Zoo	Full	DOS
LZH	Full	DOS, Amiga (as LhA)
ADF	FFS	Amiga (emulated)	Can extract files from Amiga disk images using the regular FFS file system.
DMS	FFS	Amiga	Can extract files from compressed Amiga disk images using the regular FFS file system.
LZX	Full	Amiga
PowerPacker	Full	Amiga
LBR	Full	CP/M, DOS
Squeeze	Full	CP/M, DOS
Crunch	Full	CP/M
...			Many other old formats, especially Amiga-specific ones, are also supported through libxad, but I have not made a full survey of which ones.

Format	Support level	Notes
XAR	Full	Suggested replacement for Tar on Unix. Used in some newer .pkg files on Mac OS X.
RPM	Full	Linux package format.
ALZip	No encryption	Archive format which is mainly popular in South Korea. Support for all known compression methods, including Bzip2, Deflate and obfuscated Deflate.
NSA, SAR	Partial	Game data file. Can unpack all files I've found. If you have ones that do not unpack, please post an issue.
NDS	Full	Nintendo DS ROM image, which can contain a file system.
Zipx	Full	WinZip extended Zip files

Format	Notes	Issue number
Ace 2.0	Proprietary, requires reverse engineering.	58
StuffIt X JPEG	Propietary, hugely complicated algorithm. Would require lots of reverse engineering. Supposedly patented, but I have been unable to locate the patent (which would contain useful information about the format).	146
DMG	Mac OS X disk images with a HFS+ filesystem.
PAR	Not an archive format, but recovery records for missing archive parts.	39
SHK	Apple II archive format.	119
Amiga compressors	The Amiga had a lot of different single-file compressors. Support for more of these would be useful. libxfd supports many of them, but is mostly 68k only.
Deb	Linux package format.