How To Install Rar/Unrar on CentOS

In this tutorial, we will show you how to install rar/unrar on your CentOS system. RAR archive files are ubiquitous in the digital world, yet CentOS systems don’t come with native support for this popular compression format. Whether you’re managing a production server or setting up a development environment, the ability to handle RAR archives is essential for system administrators and developers alike. This comprehensive guide will walk you through multiple installation methods for RAR and UNRAR packages on CentOS, ensuring you have the tools needed to efficiently manage compressed archives.

Unlike ZIP or TAR files that enjoy native Linux support, RAR archives require specialized tools due to their proprietary nature. The installation process varies depending on your CentOS version, system architecture, and preferred installation method. We’ll explore three reliable approaches: using the EPEL repository, utilizing RPMforge, and manual installation from official binaries.

Understanding RAR and UNRAR Tools

What is RAR?

RAR (Roshal Archive) is a proprietary archive file format that supports data compression, error recovery, and file encryption. Developed by Eugene Roshal, this format offers superior compression ratios compared to traditional ZIP archives and includes advanced features like multi-volume archives and strong encryption capabilities. The RAR format’s popularity stems from its efficiency in reducing file sizes while maintaining data integrity.

RAR archives excel in scenarios requiring maximum compression, particularly for multimedia files and large datasets. The format supports various compression algorithms and allows users to create password-protected archives with AES-256 encryption. This makes RAR an excellent choice for secure file distribution and long-term data storage.

RAR vs UNRAR Functionality

The distinction between RAR and UNRAR tools is crucial for understanding their respective roles. RAR serves as the complete archiving solution, capable of creating, modifying, and extracting archive files. It’s the full-featured application that handles all archive operations including compression, encryption, and multi-volume creation.

UNRAR, conversely, focuses exclusively on extraction and listing operations. This read-only tool cannot create new archives but excels at extracting existing RAR files, testing archive integrity, and displaying archive contents. The licensing difference is significant: while UNRAR is freely distributable, the full RAR application requires proper licensing for commercial use.

Prerequisites and System Requirements

System Requirements

Before beginning the installation process, ensure your CentOS system meets the necessary requirements. RAR/UNRAR packages support all major CentOS versions including 5.x, 6.x, 7.x, and 8.x distributions. The tools are available for both 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, though 64-bit installations are recommended for modern systems.

Minimum system requirements include at least 50MB of available disk space for the installation files and basic system libraries. Memory requirements are minimal, with RAR/UNRAR consuming negligible RAM during typical operations. However, processing large archives may require additional temporary disk space equivalent to the uncompressed archive size.

Required Privileges and Access

Administrative access is essential for installing RAR/UNRAR packages on CentOS systems. Root privileges or sudo access enables package installation, system file modification, and environment variable configuration. SSH access facilitates remote installation and management, particularly valuable for headless server environments.

Terminal proficiency is beneficial but not mandatory, as this guide provides detailed command explanations. Basic familiarity with package managers (yum for CentOS 6-7, dnf for CentOS 8+) will enhance your understanding of the installation process.

Pre-installation Checklist

Verify your system’s package manager functionality by running repository updates. Ensure internet connectivity for downloading packages and dependencies. Consider creating system backups before installing third-party repositories, particularly in production environments where stability is paramount.

Check existing RAR/UNRAR installations using which rar and which unrar commands to avoid conflicts. Document your current system configuration for troubleshooting purposes if issues arise during installation.

Installation Method 1: Using EPEL Repository

Enabling EPEL Repository

The Extra Packages for Enterprise Linux (EPEL) repository provides additional packages not included in CentOS base repositories. EPEL installation varies slightly between CentOS versions but remains straightforward across all supported releases.

For CentOS 7 and earlier versions, enable EPEL using the following command:

sudo yum install epel-release

CentOS 8 users should utilize the dnf package manager:

sudo dnf install epel-release

The EPEL repository is maintained by the Fedora community and provides thousands of additional packages for Enterprise Linux distributions. After installation, verify EPEL activation by running sudo yum repolist or sudo dnf repolist to confirm the repository appears in your active repository list.

Installing RAR/UNRAR via EPEL

Once EPEL is configured, installing RAR/UNRAR becomes a simple package management operation. The EPEL repository contains pre-compiled RAR packages that handle dependencies automatically.

For CentOS 6 and 7 systems:

sudo yum install rar unrar

For CentOS 8 and newer:

sudo dnf install rar unrar

The package manager will resolve dependencies and prompt for installation confirmation. The installation process typically downloads approximately 300-500KB of package data, completing within minutes on modern internet connections.

Verification and Testing

Confirm successful installation by checking package versions:

rar --version
unrar --version

Test basic functionality by creating a simple archive:

echo "test content" > testfile.txt
rar a test.rar testfile.txt
unrar l test.rar

The commands should execute without errors, displaying version information and archive contents respectively. Any error messages indicate installation issues requiring troubleshooting.

Installation Method 2: Using RPMforge Repository

Setting Up RPMforge Repository

RPMforge provides an alternative repository source for RAR/UNRAR packages, particularly useful for older CentOS versions where EPEL may lack package availability. RPMforge specializes in additional software packages for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and its derivatives.

The repository setup process requires downloading and installing the RPMforge release package corresponding to your CentOS version. For CentOS 6 systems, use:

rpm -Uvh http://packages.sw.be/rpmforge-release/rpmforge-release-0.5.3-1.el6.rf.x86_64.rpm

Verify repository activation by examining your yum configuration:

yum repolist enabled | grep rpmforge

Installing Packages via RPMforge

With RPMforge configured, install RAR/UNRAR using standard yum commands:

sudo yum install rar unrar

The installation process mirrors EPEL methodology but sources packages from RPMforge repositories. RPMforge packages often include older but stable versions suitable for legacy system requirements.

Monitor installation output for dependency resolution and potential conflicts with existing packages. RPMforge maintains package compatibility across supported CentOS versions, minimizing installation complications.

Post-Installation Verification

Validate installation success using the same verification procedures outlined in the EPEL section. RPMforge packages should function identically to EPEL alternatives, providing consistent RAR/UNRAR functionality across installation methods.

Installation Method 3: Manual Installation from Source

Downloading Official Binaries

Manual installation offers maximum control and ensures access to the latest RAR versions directly from RARLab. This method proves particularly valuable when repository packages are outdated or unavailable for your specific CentOS version.

Navigate to your temporary directory and download the appropriate RAR package:

cd /tmp
wget https://www.rarlab.com/rar/rarlinux-x64-6.11.tar.gz

For 32-bit systems, download the general Linux version:

wget https://www.rarlab.com/rar/rarlinux-6.11.tar.gz

Always verify download integrity by checking file sizes against the official website specifications. Corrupted downloads can cause installation failures or runtime issues.

Extraction and Setup Process

Extract the downloaded archive using tar commands:

tar -zxvf rarlinux-x64-6.11.tar.gz

The extraction process creates a ‘rar’ directory containing pre-compiled binaries and documentation. Navigate to the extracted directory:

cd rar

Examine directory contents to understand the file structure:

ls -la

The directory typically contains ‘rar’, ‘unrar’ executables, license information, and documentation files. These binaries are statically linked and require no additional compilation.

System Integration

Copy the binaries to a system PATH directory for universal access:

sudo cp -v rar unrar /usr/local/bin/

This command places RAR tools in /usr/local/bin/, which is included in the default PATH for most users. Verify successful integration:

which rar
which unrar

Set appropriate file permissions ensuring executability:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/rar /usr/local/bin/unrar

The manual installation method provides maximum flexibility and ensures access to the latest features and bug fixes directly from the developers.

Post-Installation Configuration and Verification

Testing Installation Success

Comprehensive testing validates your RAR/UNRAR installation across various scenarios. Begin with basic version checks to confirm successful installation:

rar
unrar

Both commands should display version information and usage instructions without errors. Create test archives to verify full functionality:

mkdir test_rar
echo "Sample content for testing" > test_rar/sample.txt
echo "Additional test file" > test_rar/readme.txt
rar a -r test_archive.rar test_rar/

System Integration Verification

Confirm PATH variable configuration enables global access to RAR tools. Test command availability from different directories:

cd /home
rar
cd /var/log
unrar

Successful execution from various locations confirms proper system integration. User access testing ensures non-root users can utilize RAR tools when appropriate:

su - testuser
rar --version

Performance Testing

Evaluate RAR performance with realistic file sizes and types. Create archives containing various file formats:

rar a mixed_archive.rar /usr/share/doc/*.txt
time rar a large_archive.rar /var/log/

Monitor compression ratios, processing speed, and resource utilization during archive operations. Performance benchmarks help establish baseline expectations for production usage.

Essential RAR/UNRAR Commands and Usage

Basic RAR Commands

RAR command syntax follows a consistent pattern: rar [command] [options] [archive] [files]. The most common commands include:

Archive creation with compression:

rar a documents.rar /home/user/documents/

Adding files to existing archives:

rar u documents.rar newfile.txt

Creating password-protected archives:

rar a -pSecretPassword secure.rar confidential/

Multi-volume archive creation for large datasets:

rar a -v100M large_backup.rar /home/user/

Essential UNRAR Commands

UNRAR focuses exclusively on extraction and archive inspection operations. Key commands include:

Extract archives with full directory structure:

unrar x archive.rar

Extract files without directory paths:

unrar e archive.rar

List archive contents without extraction:

unrar l archive.rar

Test archive integrity:

unrar t archive.rar

Extract specific files from archives:

unrar x archive.rar specific_file.txt

Advanced Usage Examples

RAR tools support sophisticated operations for complex scenarios. Batch processing enables automated archive management:

for file in *.log; do
    rar a "${file%.*}.rar" "$file"
done

Silent operation modes minimize output for scripting applications:

rar a -inul backup.rar /important/data/

Archive testing with detailed output assists troubleshooting:

unrar t -v archive.rar

Integration with shell scripts enables automated backup and compression workflows, essential for system administration tasks.

Troubleshooting Common Installation Issues

Repository-Related Problems

EPEL repository activation failures often stem from network connectivity issues or repository configuration problems. Verify internet connectivity and DNS resolution:

ping dl.fedoraproject.org
nslookup dl.fedoraproject.org

Package not found errors typically indicate repository synchronization issues. Force repository metadata refresh:

sudo yum clean all
sudo yum makecache

Dependency resolution conflicts may arise from third-party repositories. Temporarily disable conflicting repositories during installation:

sudo yum install --disablerepo=conflicting_repo rar unrar

Manual Installation Issues

Download failures often result from network restrictions or outdated URLs. Verify connectivity to RARLab servers and use alternative download methods if necessary. Browser downloads followed by file transfer may circumvent network restrictions.

Permission denied errors during binary copying indicate insufficient privileges. Ensure sudo access or root privileges before attempting system directory modifications:

sudo -v
ls -la /usr/local/bin/

Binary compatibility problems occasionally affect older CentOS versions. Verify system architecture compatibility:

uname -m
file /tmp/rar/rar

Runtime Problems

“Command not found” errors suggest PATH configuration issues. Verify binary locations and PATH variables:

echo $PATH
find /usr -name "rar" 2>/dev/null

Archive corruption handling requires careful diagnosis. Test archives thoroughly before relying on their contents:

unrar t suspect_archive.rar

Performance optimization involves adjusting compression levels and excluding unnecessary files from archives to improve processing speed and reduce resource utilization.

Security Considerations and Best Practices

Security Implications

Handling archives from untrusted sources presents significant security risks. RAR files can contain malicious content including malware, trojans, and exploit code. Always scan downloaded archives with antivirus software before extraction, particularly on systems handling sensitive data.

Password protection provides essential security for confidential archives. Implement strong password policies using combinations of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Passwords should exceed 12 characters in length and avoid dictionary words or predictable patterns.

File permission considerations ensure extracted files maintain appropriate access restrictions. Monitor extraction processes to prevent privilege escalation attacks through specially crafted archives.

Best Practices

Regular updates maintain security and functionality. Monitor RARLab releases for security patches and feature improvements. Automated update mechanisms help maintain current software versions in enterprise environments.

Backup strategies should include archive integrity verification and redundant storage. Test archive restoration procedures regularly to ensure backup reliability. Document archive passwords securely using enterprise password management solutions.

Integration with system monitoring enables tracking of archive operations and detecting unusual activity patterns. Log file analysis assists security auditing and compliance requirements.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed rar/unrar. Thanks for using this tutorial for installing rar/unrar in the CentOS system. For additional help or useful information, we recommend you check the official rar website.

Save