How to Extract RAR Files on Raspberry Pi and Linux

Ben
Ben
@benjislab

RAR files are a common archive format used for compressing multiple files into a single, smaller file. While Linux systems, including Raspberry Pi OS, can handle many archive formats natively, RAR support isn't included by default. This guide will show you how to install the necessary tools and extract RAR files on your Raspberry Pi or any Linux distribution.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

  • A Raspberry Pi or Linux-based system
  • An internet connection
  • Access to the command line (via terminal or SSH)

Step 1: Update Your System

Before installing any new software, it's always a good idea to update your system's package lists.

  1. Open a terminal on your Raspberry Pi or Linux system.
  2. Run the following commands:
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

This ensures that all your software packages are up to date.

Step 2: Install unrar

To extract RAR files on Linux, you need to install the unrar package. This utility allows you to extract RAR files easily from the command line.

  1. Install unrar:

    On Debian-based distributions like Raspberry Pi OS and Ubuntu, you can install unrar using the apt package manager:

sudo apt install unrar -y

For other Linux distributions, the installation command might differ. For example, on Fedora, you would use:

sudo dnf install unrar
  1. Verify the Installation:

After installation, verify that unrar is installed correctly by checking its version:

unrar

You should see a list of commands and options available with unrar, confirming that it is installed.

Step 3: Extracting RAR Files

Once unrar is installed, you can easily extract RAR files.

  1. Navigate to the Directory:

Use the cd command to navigate to the directory containing the RAR file you want to extract:

cd /path/to/your/rarfile
  1. List the Contents of the RAR File (Optional):

If you want to see the contents of the RAR file before extracting, use:

unrar l yourfile.rar

Replace yourfile.rar with the actual name of your RAR file.

  1. Extract the RAR File:

To extract the contents of the RAR file to the current directory, use:

unrar x yourfile.rar

This command will extract all files and folders from the RAR archive, preserving their directory structure.

  1. Extract to a Specific Directory:

If you want to extract the files to a specific directory, specify the directory path like this:

unrar x yourfile.rar /path/to/destination/

Replace /path/to/destination/ with the directory where you want the files to be extracted.

Step 4: Handling Password-Protected RAR Files

Some RAR files may be password-protected. To extract such files, you will need to provide the password during extraction.

  1. Extract a Password-Protected RAR File:

When prompted, enter the password:

unrar x yourfile.rar

After running the command, you will be asked to enter the password. Type the password and press Enter to extract the files.

Step 5: Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • unrar command not found: If you see this error, it means unrar was not installed correctly. Re-run the installation command to ensure unrar is installed.
  • Error with extraction: If you encounter errors during extraction, ensure that the RAR file is not corrupted and that you have write permissions to the destination directory.

Conclusion

Extracting RAR files on Raspberry Pi and other Linux systems is straightforward once you have the right tools installed. By following this guide, you can easily install unrar and start working with RAR archives on your Linux system. Whether you're dealing with simple archives or password-protected files, the command-line approach offers a powerful way to manage and extract RAR files.