[SOLVED] Extracting a single file from a RAR archive

Gerard Lally · 02-05-2012, 11:26 PM

This is probably straightforward, but I can't figure it out. Let's say I create a RAR archive on the command line as follows:

Code:

rar a -r test.rar /home/user/pictures/

How can I then open test.rar and extract a single file or directory from test.rar without extracting the whole lot?

fukawi1 · 02-06-2012, 12:28 AM

Basically you just specify the file/s within the archive that you want to extract, at the end of the command.

I should note too, that "unrar e" will extract the files into the current directory, and "unrar x" will extract the files including the full path stored in the archive.
This will also work with parameter expansion, as in to extract a range, using "file{2..8}".

Code:

~/tmp $ unrar l test.rar 

UNRAR 3.93 freeware      Copyright (c) 1993-2010 Alexander Roshal

Archive test.rar

 Name             Size   Packed Ratio  Date   Time     Attr      CRC   Meth Ver
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 file1               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file10              0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file2               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file3               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file4               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file5               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file6               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file7               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file8               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
 file9               0        8   0% 06-02-12 17:16 -rw-r----- 00000000 m3b 2.9
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   10                0       80   0%

~/tmp $ unrar e test.rar file5 file8

UNRAR 3.93 freeware      Copyright (c) 1993-2010 Alexander Roshal


Extracting from test.rar

Extracting  file5                                                     OK 
Extracting  file8                                                     OK 
All OK

Gerard Lally · 02-06-2012, 01:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fukawi1

Basically you just specify the file/s within the archive that you want to extract, at the end of the command.

I do that but I get the message "No files to extract".

Code:

~/pictures $ unrar lb test.rar

subdir01
subdir02
pic01.jpg
pic02.jpg
pic03.jpg
pic04.jpg
pic05.jpg
pic06.jpg
pic07.jpg
pic08.jpg
pic09.jpg


~/pictures $ unrar e test.rar pic08.jpg pic09.jpg

UNRAR 4.10 freeware      Copyright (c) 1993-2012 Alexander Roshal

Extracting from test.rar

No files to extract

Gerard Lally · 02-06-2012, 02:01 AM

Embarrassing doesn't even begin to describe it!

The archive was created with the full path, so I need either to exclude the full path name when creating archives or to specify the full path name in the unrar command.

Code:

unrar e test.rar pictures/pic08.jpg pictures/pic08.jpg

does the trick.

Many thanks!

fukawi1 · 02-06-2012, 02:05 AM

I notice you are using a newer version of unrar. It is possible, however unlikely that could change the way accepts multiple files.

Try checking the manpage.

Will it work for a single file?