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RAR is a compression program offering an original algorithm. This new way to compress files provides greater efficiency, and makes smaller archives -- especially on multimedia files, and archives with many files. RAR also offers self-extracting capabilities as well as disk-spanning (or multi-volumes). RAR is the official RAR archive utility for Mac OS X (offered as a command line utility), especially useful while reading all those alt.binaries newsgroups.
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.
Version 3.8:
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Switch -o[+|-] can now be specified when archiving to control
RAR behavior when updating already existing files in archive.
Unlike already existing -f and -u, switch -o[+|-] ignores
the file date and compares only file names.
- New -dw switch enables "Wipe files" mode when deleting archived files.
Before deleting file data are overwritten by zero bytes to prevent
recovery of deleted files.
- RAR displays the total progress bar when unpacking a multivolume
archive if all volumes are present in the same folder.
Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later.
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| RAR User Reviews (15 posts) | Write A Review |
 | Aug 2 2008 |
SHOTGUNWEDDINGS What I can't believe is people are actually dumb enough to buy into this lame excuse of a RAR option. It's 2008 , CLI based tools is not only wrong it's and insult to every Mac user. Like most Mac users we left the Windows side to get away from the stupid command line garbage because the Mac OS was using a GUI front end for everything instead, saved time and increased productivity. Terminal junkies need a reality check , you want CLI , then buy a UNIX or PC box. I don't want CLI period. 30 bucks for an inconvienent method , you couldn't me double that to even waste a single keystroke to use it! | |
| [ 3 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Aug 2 2008 |
BRUCE_Y While I agree that the major paradigm of the Mac experience is a GUI interface, but, sarcasm aside: the RAR compression is supposed to be pretty much state of the art/ tighter than other archive compression schemes. So there is some value in itself. But I agree that it seems Nuts for Mac users to have to pay the same $29 that a Windows user pays who gets both Command line and a nice GUI window interface (think similar to winzip). Seems to me that Mac users should either pay less for getting Command line only, or should be getting the same bundle of CLI plus GUI. As it is now, you still have to buy another package which then calls the RAR CLI, if you want to get it all done from the Mac GUI (which would be my preference). Would be nice if the RAR folks, or one of our clever Mac wizard developers, could put together a Friendly user interface with RAR compression and at a total packaged reasonable price.
(Version 3.8b4) | |
| Aug 2 2008 |
GANNET Except that RAR *isn't* state of the art/ tighter than other archive compression schemes. Just like DivX isn't state of the art for video compression, people only use it because other people are doing it and it's easy. 7-zip offers very competitive compression in comparison with RAR and is entirely free. If you want a nice, full-featured compression program for OS X you can get BetterZip (not free), which can compress to a variety of formats including 7-zip and RAR (RAR licence must be purchased separately).
(Version 3.8b4) | |
| Aug 20 2008 |
You better of buying BetterZip which altough by default can't create a RAR archive (have to buy a RAR license), can do a lot more and priced less
(Version 3.8b4) | |
| May 30 2008 |
MARK EVERITT If you only need the unrar utility you can get it using macports. This has some advantages such as not needing to install stuff into /usr/bin, and if you use porticus with macports then the only use of the command line will be to use unrar itself. Macports, Porticus and unrar obtained this way are all free.
(Version 3.8b1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
 | May 30 2008 |
XYPHER Has excellent functionality. To get the best out of it use with the wrapper, 'RarMe' available here: http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/12598 Simply place the Rar and Unrar files into the resources folder.
(Version 3.8b1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jun 18 2007 |
ETNIER It's almost impossible to believe that this program, vital for people who do wish to transmit files using the .rar format, is so incredibly difficult, not to say risky to install. And to charge $30.00!!! Installation instructions are not included in the package: you have to be on this page of comments to learn how to 'install'. "(give root:wheel ownership via 'sudo chown root:wheel ')":This is incomprehensible to me. "copy 'rar' and 'unrar' to '/usr/bin', copy 'default.sfx' to '/usr/lib/' and copy 'rarfiles.lst' to '/etc/'." A bit more easy to understand, but not for most Macintosh users. There are comments here from users who can't locate their usr/bin and similar files, not surprising given that those folders are invisible. IMHO any Mac developer who releases general-purpose software in such an arcane bundle of bits should be ashamed of themselves. Isn't this what an INSTALLER is for????? I guess these guys "own" the .rar format and so we're stuck with this, but it's just not fair.
(Version 3.7) | |
| [ 8 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Nov 22 2007 |
MATT_BELBIN where is user/bin ? when i click on my user, i cant find 'bin' anywhere. sorry im a mac noob.
(Version 3.7.1) | |
 | May 24 2008 |
CHIMP_MAN72_HOTMAIL.COM You're mistaking /usr/ for /Users/ or your Home folder. /usr/ is a hidden folder in the Computer folder. You can only access it by enabling hidden folders, or by pressing Shift+Command+G in Finder (or select Go to Folder from Finder's Go menu) and then type in "/usr/bin/" (minus the quotes). Your predicament shows exactly why the OP is right.
(Version 3.7.1) | |
| Jun 1 2008 |
GFORCE I agree with this comment. There are no installation instructions and no installer. How could you release such an app without either one or both?
(Version 3.8b1) | |
| Jun 16 2008 |
MRELCEE Agreed - it wouldn't take much for them to make a package installer to do this for you. As a matter of fact, 3-4 minutes if you are familiar with how to do it and 15 minutes tops if it's your first time.. I've done it myself to hand out to non-techie friends.. On the other hand, I'm rather grateful they do a Mac build at all and that the winrar key I bought ~8 years ago still works when i install it in /etc for this version. That is truly a liberal licensing scheme..
(Version 3.8b2) | |
| Jun 17 2008 |
CHIMP_MAN72_HOTMAIL.COM I ended up using SimplyRAR because it's free, and has this RAR binary in it, so it RARs stuff perfectly well. It's how this binary should have been implemented.
(Version 3.8b2) | |
| Jun 17 2008 |
ETNIER Yeah: I recently found SimplyRAR as well and am happy I did.
(Version 3.8b2) | |
| Jul 11 2008 |
~S This is a command-line utility. If you download it, you usually know how to install and how to use. Otherwise, go somewhere else and pick a front-end and mac-like such as the ones mentioned around (I think)...
(Version 3.8b3) | |
| Jul 11 2008 |
~S And, BTW, no need to install into /usr/bin, login as administrator or similar. You can place the binary in whatever place you wish. I still remember the days when "mac-like" was equivalent to be unable to watch divx or hear mp3...
(Version 3.8b3) | |
 | Jun 1 2007 |
LEO KUZNETSOV Zipeg is not Windows only. It is actually developed on and for Macintosh and was ported to Windows lately. Try http://www.zipeg.com/mac.index.html
(Version 3.7) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Jan 15 2007 |
RPAEGE Some people appear to not understand where RAR files are mostly used. The are very very common on USENET and another utility to work with them is very welcome! Competition is a good thing.
(Version 3.7b1) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Aug 18 2006 |
LOKHEED Why do I have to pay the same as a Windows user that gets a well built native GUI and I have a commandline based PPC program to run on my Intel Mac? | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jan 20 2007 |
LEO KUZNETSOV try www.zipeg.com it does RAR and it is free and it has UI
(Version 3.7b1) | |
| Jun 1 2007 |
SSKROBON Zipeg is Windows only application.
(Version 3.7) | |
Replies:
| Aug 17 2006 |
LOKHEED Not true. SimplyRAR uses a shareware version of RAR where features are crippled (e.g., authentication, etc.). What the author needs to do is make it a Universal binary.
(Version 3.6) | |
| Jun 21 2007 |
ETNIER Also, FWIW I have been unable to get SimplyRAR to work, and so far support has not been forthcoming.
(Version 3.7) | |
| Jul 18 2005 |
FLARCH RAR on a Mac? For $29?! 8oP For transfers Mac to Mac, nothing beats a nice convenient .dmg file, and BZIP2 content compressed .dmg's, optionally with custom icons and license agreements can be made automatically for $15 with DropDMG, or with a little more effort for free with Disk Utility. If you have to deal with peecees, nothing wrong with TAR & BZIP2 or ZIP for free. Don't want to get into the Terminal or Terminal widgets? Just grab TarPit. Drag and drop to create gzipped or bzipped TAR archives, optionally with Macbinary encoded contents.
(Version 3.5b5) | |
| [ Reply ] | |
| Apr 23 2005 |
ANONYMOUS Copy files to usr/bin? I don't have any such directory
(Version 3.5b1) | |
| [ 2 Replies - Reply ] | |
Replies:
| Jun 9 2005 |
SZABESZ Of course you have such directories. You just cannot see it with the Finder. Type: in the Terminal.app, press enter and you will see them...
(Version 3.5b5) | |
| Jul 18 2005 |
FLARCH OR, with a finder window active, You'll get a sheet with a text box. Type /usr/bin to be taken to that directory. In collumn mode you will also see the contents of the parent usr directory.
(Version 3.5b5) | |
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