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RAR for Mac

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RAR for Mac

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  • Latest Version

    RAR 7.00 LATEST

  • Review by

    Michael Reynolds

  • Operating System

    Mac OS X

  • User Rating

    Click to vote
  • Author / Product

    RARLab / External Link

  • Filename

    rarmacos-x64-700.tar.gz

  • MD5 Checksum

    be5d4662b2567e1b01690765f35f6b13

RAR for Mac archiver app is a command-line utility designed to compress and store files in RAR archives, saving space and providing encryption for secure storage. It is developed by the team behind the award-winning Windows app WinRAR, one of the world’s most popular archiving apps ever to be created. The Mac version supports all .rar and .zip archive files, as well as other popular file types, including CAB, ARJ, GZ, TAR, ACR, JAR, ISO, 7Z, XZ, and others.

The command-line interface allows users to execute various commands for archiving and extracting files, making it a versatile tool for managing compressed files on macOS. Sadly, the app completely lacks any kind of visual interface, forcing users to interact with it only via text commands.

The app is optimized for macOS ARM and macOS x64 operating systems, and can also run flawlessly on all modern Apple Silicon Mac hardware.

Features
  • Comprehensive Archiving – Compress and store files in RAR archives to save space, with full support for encrypting with private keys.
  • Uncompress Files – Gain access to files stored inside easily transferable archives.
  • Large Command List – Take full control over the archiving and uncompressing of files.
  • Large Format support – Supports all popular modern and legacy compressions standards.
  • Solid Archiving – Raises the compression rate by 10-50%, especially when packing a large number of small files.
  • Recovery & Repair – Gain access to physically damaged or partially downloaded archives.
Installation and Setup

To install this powerful file compression and decompression utility on a Mac, users can simply download this software from the official WinRAR website or our secure FileHorse servers.

Once downloaded, users can easily deploy this app using an automated installer that will add new commands to the text console field of your Mac. Since the app does not feature any visual interface, the entire installation package weighs just half a megabyte, making it one of the most lightweight and streamlined apps anyone can install on their Mac.

How to Use

The RAR archiver app for Mac operates through the command-line interface, allowing technically minded users to execute various commands for archiving and extracting files. Users can access the full list of commands in the WinRAR Help menu and utilize them to compress, store, and extract files in RAR archives.

The command-line interface provides flexibility and control over the archiving and extraction process, catering to advanced users familiar with command-line operations.

User Interface

As a command-line utility, the RAR archiver app for Mac does not have a graphical user interface. Users interact with the software through the terminal, executing commands to perform archiving and extraction tasks.

FAQ

What is RAR for macOS?
It is the archiver app for Mac by the WinRAR team, packaged as a command-line utility designed to compress and store files in RAR archives, and all other advanced options available in the GUI versions of this app.

Is it safe?
100% yes! This powerful app comes from a reputable and trusted development team that has 3 decades of experience in handling compressed archive management processes.

Does this app feature a visual UI?
No. This is a command-line tool for advanced users who are used to managing their Mac files via Terminal commands.

Alternatives

The Unarchiver – A versatile file compression utility that supports a wide range of archive formats.

unRarX – A free alternative to WinRAR for Mac computers, offering basic archive decompression features inside an easy-to-use UI.

Keka – A versatile file compression tool, offering users an intuitive interface and robust features for compressing and extracting files.

BetterZip – A comprehensive archive management tool, providing users with advanced features for compressing, decompressing, and encrypting files effortlessly on the macOS platform.

iZip – A user-friendly file compression and extraction tool, offering seamless features for managing zip archives.

Pricing

Users can test all the capabilities of this app via a TRIAL license, after which they will be prompted to purchase a premium license.

System Requirements

This lightweight app runs flawlessly on all modern and legacy Mac hardware.

PROS
  • Supports a wide range of archive formats, including RAR and ZIP.
  • Provides encryption for secure storage of archives.
  • Advanced command-line operations.
  • Lightweight operation.
  • One of the most popular compressed archive management apps ever created.
CONS
  • Lack of graphical user interface.
Conclusion

The RAR for Mac is a powerful compression archive management command-line utility that caters to advanced users and professionals familiar with terminal operations by offering them an easy way to archive and extract files in various formats. However, due to its complete lack of a graphical user interface, many users will find it hard to use when managing a large number of compression and decompression tasks.

Note: WinRAR for macOS is a command-line only application. If you want a more intuitive GUI client for your compression/decompression needs we suggest you try The Unarchiver or unRarX.

Also Available: Download WinRAR for Windows

What's new in this version:

- Compression dictionary sizes larger than 1 GB are supported for RAR archive format. Depending on the amount of physically available memory, dictionary up to 64 GB can be selected.
- Not power of 2 dictionary sizes can be specified for dictionaries exceeding 4 GB. So we are not limited to 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 series and can use values like 5 GB or 22 GB.
- Archives with dictionaries exceeding 4 GB can be unpacked only by WinRAR 7.0 or newer. 64-bit WinRAR version is needed to unpack archives with dictionaries exceeding 1 GB.
- WinRAR issues a prompt allowing to cancel or continue if dictionary size in extracted RAR archive exceeds "Maximum dictionary size allowed to extract" parameter in "Settings/Compression". It is done to prevent the unexpected excessive memory allocation.
- In the command line mode by default WinRAR refuses to unpack archives with dictionary exceeding 4 GB. Use -md or -mdx to allow unpacking dictionaries up to and including the specified size. Unlike -md, -mdx is applied to extraction only and can be added to RAR environment variable, not affecting archiving commands.
- "Define dictionary sizes" dialog in "Settings/Compression" can be used to customize dictionary sizes proposed in the drop down list associated with "Dictionary size" field in "Archive name and parameters" dialog.
- Alternate search algorithm, optimized to locate longer and more distant repeated data blocks, can be used when creating RAR archives. It helps to improve the compression ratio and sometimes speed for redundant data like big text files.
- It increases memory usage and might reduce the compression speed for some types of data. It can be turned on or off with "Long range search" options in "Advanced compression parameters" dialog or with -mcl[+|-] switch. If "Auto" option is selected, WinRAR applies the long range search depending on the compression method, dictionary size and other parameters.
- This algorithm is required for dictionaries exceeding 4 GB and turning it off is ignored for such dictionaries.
- Much slower and more exhaustive repeated data search and compression algorithm can be enabled with "Exhaustive search" option in "Advanced compression parameters" dialog or with -mcx switch. It might provide the additional compression gain for some types of redundant data, but at much lower compression speed.
- Long range search is needed to implement this mode efficiently, so the exhaustive search option activates it automatically.
- Both long range and exhaustive search option do not affect the compatibility of created archives. So if dictionary size is in 128 KB - 4 GB range, archives created with these search options can be unpacked by all WinRAR versions beginning from 5.0.
- Maximum path length limit is increased from 2047 to 65535 characters.
- Creating archives in RAR 4.x format isn't supported anymore. Options and switches specific for this format are removed. It doesn't affect RAR 4.x archives decompression, which is included into WinRAR.
- "Propagate Mark of the Web" option in "Settings/Security" dialog controls assigning the archive Mark of the Web to extracted files. It is possible to prohibit propagating, allow it for several predefined file groups, for all files or for files matching user defined file masks.
- Mark of the Web is the security zone information added by Internet browsers to downloaded files. It can be used by various software for security purposes.
- It is supported only by GUI WinRAR. Console RAR doesn't propagate Mark of the Web regardless of this option.
- "Attributes" column can be enabled in "Settings/File list/Columns". It displays file attribute abbreviations, such as 'A' for "Archive" and 'D' for directory.
- If file attribute isn't among those recognized by WinRAR, the numeric value of file attributes is also displayed. This value uses hexadecimal format for Windows attributes or octal format for Unix attributes.
- "Benchmark" command allows to specify the exact number of threads and copy results to clipboard. Information about WinRAR and Windows versions, CPU and memory is added to benchmark window.
- "Remove redundant folders from extraction path" option in "Settings/Paths" is now applicable also to extraction commands invoked from WinRAR user interface and to multiple archivesunpacked to separate folders. It removes a destination path component, only if its name matches both the archive name and root archived folder name, provided that there are no other folders or files in archive root.
- For example, it will remove one of "Pictures" in the destination path if we unpack Pictures.rar containing the root "Pictures" folder to "Pictures" destination.
- Previously it worked only for a single archive extracted from context menu and didn't check if archived folder name matches the last destination path component.
- "Word wrap in comment" option in "Interface" options group in "Settings/General" toggles the word wrap mode in archive comment window.
- Dictionary size data in archive information dialog is now available for .bz2, .lz, .tar.bz2, .tar.gz, .tar.lz, .tar.zst archives.
- Switch -ol- prohibits archiving and extracting symbolic links.
- Switches -sl[u] and -sm[u] recognize [k|K|m|M|g|G|t|T] size units for kilobytes, thousands of bytes, megabytes, millions of bytes, gigabytes, billions of bytes, terabytes, trillions of bytes. If unit character is 'b', 'B' or not present, bytes are assumed.
- Previously these switches accepted bytes only.
- SFX TempMode command accepts the optional @set:user parameter allowing to modify temporary folder permissions, so only the current user can access it. It prohibits a local user to replace files in a temporary folder if SFX is started under another account.
- It also can be enabled with "Restrict folder access" option in "Advanced SFX options/Modes" dialog. Some installers might fail to start in a folder created with @set:user parameter.
- File permissions and NTFS alternate streams are not saved for hard link entries. They are saved only for the source file these entries refer to. It allows to reduce the archive size, because such file properties are automatically propagated to hard links copies when extracting.
- Keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl+A to select all files or Alt+E to unpack found archives, are now functional in "Search results" window also while search is still in progress. Previously they were available only after completing search.
- Switch -v[unit] recognizes 't' and 'T' as terabytes and trillions of bytes for volume size units.
- Warning is issued if leading '-' character is missing in a parameter specified in "Additional switches" field of WinRAR archiving and extraction dialogs. Also it is issued for parameters lacking '-' in RAR environment variable and rar.ini file. Previously such malformed parameters were ignored silently.
- "Convert archives" command displays the smooth total operation progress. Previously the total progress was updated abruptly after converting an archive and was visible only when processing multiple archives.
- Proper progress is displayed when compressing symbolic link targets
- "Integrate WinRAR into shell" option in WinRAR "Settings/Integration" is grayed out if "GlobalIntegration=0" is present in winrar.ini file
- 64-bit WinRAR version uses 64-bit SFX modules by default. 64-bit SFX modules are needed to unpack archives with dictionaries exceeding 1 GB.
- 32-bit modules are renamed to Default32.SFX, Zip32.SFX, WinCon32.SFX
- Maximum allowed dictionary size for archiving and extraction can be specified in gigabytes in MaxDictA and MaxDictE variables in "HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareWinRARPolicy" Registry key. If these variables are smaller than corresponding values defined in WinRAR interface, they override interface values.
- Console RAR filters out character 27 from screen output. It is done for security reasons, because this character can be used to declare ANSI escape control sequences in some terminal applications.
- We are thankful to Siddharth Dushantha for bringing this issue to our attention

Fixed:
- It was possible to overwrite Mark of the Web, propagated from archive to extracted files, and modify its security zone information utilizing a specially crafted .rar archive. We are thankful to Orange Tsai and NiNi from DEVCORE Research Team working with Trend Micro Zero Day Initiative for letting us know about this security issue.
- Unlike WinRAR, unrar.dll library doesn't propagate the archive Mark of the Web and leaves it to a caller application to assign it to extracted files. So unrar.dll isn't affected by this issue;
- "User defined archive extensions" field in "Settings/Integration" was not saved if winrar.ini was used to store settings and WinRAR was started under non-administrator user account.

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