Archive Utility

Infobox Software
name = Archive Utility



caption =
developer = Apple Computer
latest release version = 10.5
latest release date = 2007-10-26
latest preview version =
latest preview date =
operating system = Mac OS X
genre = File archiver
license =
website = [http://www.apple.com/macosx/ http://www.apple.com/macosx/]

Archive Utility (BOMArchiveHelper until Mac OS X 10.5) is the default archive file handler in Mac OS X. It is usually invoked automatically when opening a file in one of its supported formats. It can be used to create compressed archives by choosing "Create archive of 'file'" (Leopard: "Compress") in the Finder's File or contextual menu. It is located in /System/Library/CoreServices/Archive Utility.app in 10.5, and /System/Library/CoreServices/BOMArchiveHelper.app in 10.4. Prior to Archive Utility's inclusion in Mac OS X v10.3, many users used the freeware StuffIt Expander for almost all archive decompression.

Invoking Archive Utility manually shows a minimal GUI letting the user change Archive Utility preferences or choose files to compress or uncompress.

BOM is an abbreviation of Bill of Materials. Bill of Materials files or .bom files are used by the Mac OS X Installer program to document where files in an installer bundle are installed, what their file permissions should be, and other file metadata. Thus, a Bill of Materials is read by the Installer, and Archive Utility "helps" it by extracting the files specified in the BOM.

upported formats

*bzip2 (.bz, .bz2)
*cpgz (cpio gziped)
*cpio (.cpio)
*gz (.gzip, .gz)
*tar (.tar)
*tgz (tar gziped)
*tbz, tbz2 (tar bziped)
*compress (.Z)
*UUencode
*ZIP (.zip) – password-protected ZIP archives are not supported
*bom (.bom) – not an archive format, but supported by Archive Utility

ee also

*List of file archivers
*Comparison of file archivers

External links

* [http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Darwin/Reference/Manpages/man5/bom.5.html man page for bom]
* [http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Darwin/Reference/Manpages/man8/lsbom.8.html Apple Manual page for lsbom which lists the contents of BOM files]