explodepkg

Extract a package to the current directory

$ explodepkg [path/to/package.tgz]

$ explodepkg [path/to/package1.tgz] [path/to/package2.tgz]

explodepkg <package>

<package>
    Path to Slackware package file (.tgz, .txz, .tbz, .tlz, etc.)

explodepkg is a Slackware Linux utility for unpacking package files (.tgz, .txz, .tbz, .tlz) into the current working directory.

It recreates the full filesystem hierarchy as defined in the package, placing files in paths relative to your current location. For example, running explodepkg foo.tgz in /tmp/pkg extracts binaries to /tmp/pkg/usr/bin, configs to /tmp/pkg/etc, and so on.

Unlike tar, it automatically detects compression (gzip, xz, bzip2, lzip) and uses tar xpvf to preserve permissions, ownership, and modification times. This tool is ideal for inspecting packages without system-wide installation, debugging, or custom deployments.

Packages are structured with an install/ script (Slackware convention), but explodepkg focuses solely on file extraction, ignoring scripts unless manually executed.

It's a simple Perl script, lightweight, and integral to Slackware's pkgtool ecosystem for package management.

Extracts with absolute paths relative to CWD, potentially cluttering directories; files retain root ownership/permissions unless run as non-root; no options for selective extraction or script execution.

explodepkg slackware64-15.0/coreutils-8.32-x86_64-1.txz
Extracts to ./usr/bin/coreutils tools, ./usr/man/, etc.

Perl script in /usr/lib64/slackpkg/scripts/explodepkg; view with cat /usr/lib64/slackpkg/scripts/explodepkg.

Developed by Patrick Volkerding for Slackware Linux since version 1.0 (1993); evolved with compression support (added xz/lzip in Slackware 13+); remains unchanged as a core, minimalist tool.

tar(1), pkgtool(8), makepkg(8), installpkg(8)