file-roller

file-roller [OPTIONS...] [FILES...]

-a, --add
    Add files or folders to an archive. This option typically launches the graphical interface for file selection.

-d, --extract
    Extract files from the specified archive. This can be combined with --extract-to for a specific destination.

-f, --force
    Force the operation without prompting for confirmation, where applicable.

-i, --info
    Display detailed information about the specified archive file.

-l, --list
    List the content of an archive within the main file-roller window.

-t, --test
    Test the integrity of an archive to check for any corruption or errors.

-e, --extract-to=FOLDER
    Specify the target FOLDER where files should be extracted.

-n, --new-window
    Open a new instance of the file-roller application window.

--display=DISPLAY
    Set the X display to use for the graphical application.

--version
    Show the program's version number and then exit.

-?, --help
    Display basic command-line help options.

--help-all
    Show all available help options, including GTK+ specific ones.

--help-gtk
    Show GTK+ Toolkit specific options.

file-roller is the default archive manager for the GNOME desktop environment. It provides a user-friendly graphical interface to manage a wide array of archive formats such as tar, zip, gzip, bzip2, 7z, and more.

Users can easily perform common archive operations: creating new archives, viewing their contents, extracting files to a desired location, and even modifying existing archives. It acts as a convenient front-end to a multitude of underlying command-line archiving tools, abstracting their complexities to offer a seamless and intuitive user experience.

file-roller is predominantly a graphical user interface (GUI) application. While it offers command-line arguments for convenience, most operations will launch the main GUI window for user interaction. Consequently, it is generally not suitable for automated scripting or batch processing in headless or command-line-only environments, where direct command-line archiving tools are preferred.

Despite its command-line options, file-roller's primary function is as a graphical archive manager. Invoking most command-line arguments will open the GUI, meaning it's less suited for purely automated tasks. For scripting or server environments, direct command-line utilities like tar or zip are the more appropriate choices.

file-roller serves as a versatile front-end that supports a wide array of archive formats. This includes popular types such as .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, .tar.xz, .zip, .rar, and .7z, along with disk image formats like .iso. This broad compatibility makes it a comprehensive solution for most archiving needs on the desktop.

Developed as an integral component of the GNOME project, file-roller first emerged around 1999/2000. It quickly established itself as the standard archive utility for the GNOME desktop environment, providing a consistent and user-friendly graphical interface for managing archives across various formats, thereby simplifying complex command-line operations for a broader user base.

tar(1), gzip(1), bzip2(1), zip(1), unzip(1), 7z(1), rar(1)