Command Line Options and PACL Manual

Command Line Options and PACL Manual
- Command Line Options
- PA Command Line Manual (PACL)

Command Line Options

Introduction

PowerArchiver can perform certain operations directly from the command line. If you prefer using a command line interface full time, you should try PowerArchiver Command Line (PACL), available from the PowerArchiver Web site. It is much better for command line usage, has more features and it is free for registered users of PowerArchiver.

Options

Opening compressed files directly from the command line:

Type: POWERARC filename.ext

For example: POWERARC tutor1.zip

Extracting an archive:

POWERARC -e filename.ext –> extracts “filename.ext” to current directory

POWERARC -e filename.ext “full_path_where_to_extract” –> extracts “filename.ext” to directory specified as third parameter

POWERARC -es filename.exe –> extracts “filename.exe” to subfolder named ./filename/

POWERARC -et filename.exe –> starts dialog where user can select folder for extraction

If the archive is a ZIP file, you can convert it to a ZIP SFX (self-extracting ZIP file) by running:

POWERARC -tosfx “filename.ext”

If the archive is a ZIP file, you can span it across two or more smaller archives (to fit on separate floppies) by running:

POWERARC -tospan “filename.ext”

Need More Options? Use PACL!

If you need more options for command line archiving, try out PowerArchiver Command Line (PACL)! It is our command line tool that is specially designed for working in a Windows console environment. PACL is free for registered PowerArchiver Pro users. Go to the PACL website: http://www.powerarchiver.com/pacl/.

PA Command Line Manual (PACL)

PACL is an advanced command line archiving utility for Windows console environments. It fully supports a variety of the most popular compressed file formats, including: ZIP, 7-ZIP, CAB, JAR, TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, yENC, Base64, CAB SFX and many others. PACL also includes 5 different encryption methods.

Using PAEXT

PAEXT {-command …} {d:}{\path\}filespec{.ext} {@list} {files …}

Commands:

e : extract files from archive (default)
v : list contents of archive
t : test achive integrity
o+ : overwrite existing files without prompting
o- : do not overwrite existing files
or : allow overwriting read-only files
r : rename – automatically rename files if they already exist
d : restore/create directory structure stored in archive
c : use character translations (use if you have problems with special characters)
q : quiet mode
lfile : quiet mode + moves output to file
spwd : decrypt with password
certfile : use certificate from file
poutputpath: extract files to outputpath (default is current directory)
psub : extract files to filename/ subdirectory (subdirectories - if extracting multiple archives)
$directory : set custom temp directory
@list : specify list of files for extraction (use filename instead of list - see example) Note: this does not mean list of archives for extraction
0 : start process as low priority
unicode : parameters and output are in UNICODE format
fips : use FIPS 140-2 Mode

Example PAEXT commands

paext docs.zip –> extract all files from docs.zip to current directory WITHOUT using archive folders
paext -d docs.zip –> extract all files from docs.zip to current directory using archive folders
paext -t docs.zip –> test contents of docs.zip
paext docs.arj .dat .txt –> extract only those files in docs.arj with extensions .dat and .txt, to current directory
paext -pc:\temp . –> extract all files from all supported archive files to c:\temp directory
paext -v docs.zip –> list all files in docs.zip
paext -p”c:\my docs” docs.zip –> extract all files from docs.zip to “c:\my docs”
paext -o+ docs.z –> extract all files from docs.zip and overwrite existing files without asking
paext -r docs.zip –> extract all files in docs.zip but rename any existing file when extracted
paext .zip @files.txt –> extract all files specified in the file “files.txt” from all .zip archives

Exit Codes:

0 –> no errors found
1 –> error in command line syntax, no action
2 –> error while extracting

Technical Information

1 * Extracting from .CAB files requires cabinet.dll.
- Extracting from .ACE files requires unacev2.dll.
- Extracting from .7Z files requires 7z.dll.
- Extracting from .ZIP files requires paclib.dll.
- Extracting from .RAR files requires paunrar3.dll.
2 * Multivolume ARJ, CAB, RAR, ACE, ZIP and 7Z archives are supported.
3 * PAEXT cannot test (-t) the contents of Microsoft CAB files.
4 * ACE v2 archives are supported.
5 * RAR v3 archives are supported.
6 * Most SFX archives are supported.
7 * ZIP v4.5 format (large archives) are supported.
8 * ZIP AES Encryption compatible with WinZip and PKZIP AES standard.
9 * ZIP methods supported: Deflate, Deflate64, LZMA, PPMd, BZIP2, WavPack, JPEG
10* FIPS mode supports only ZIP AES archives

Using PACOMP

PACOMP {-command …} {d:}{\path\}filespec.ext {@list} {files …}

Commands:

a : add files to archive (default)
u : update files to archive
h : freshen files in archive
m : move files to archive [files only]
d : delete files from archive
r : recurse subfolders
p|P : store relative Pathnames|store full Pathnames
PP : store full Pathnames including drive
c[0,1,2,10,11,13,15,17,19,l,p,w,b,d,z] : set compression level
- (0 - store; 1 - normal ; 2 - maximal)
- (10 - store, 11 - super fast, 13 - fast, 15 - normal, 17 - max, 19 - ultra
- (l - use LZMA, p - use PPMd, w - use WavPack, b - use BZIP2, d - use Deflate
- (z - use optimized compression method based on file exstension)
g : create Solid archive (7Z format only)
spassword : scramble with password [must be given]
s@filename : scramble with password specified as first line in filename
e[0,1,2] : set encryption method (when using password on ZIP files)
- 0 - default ZIP,
- 1 - AES 128 bits,
- 2 - AES 256 bits
o : set archive date to the latest file in the archive
k : keep orginal archive file date
t : force UNICODE filenames instead of OEM when possible
$directory: set custom temp directory
xfile : eXclude specified file
x@list : eXclude file(s) in specified list file
w : include system and hidden files
f : do not add empty directories
vsize[b,k,M] : set volume size (b=bytes, k=kB, M=MB)
vN : do not use automatic spanning on removable drives
b : format target removable media when spanning to removable media
bq : quick format target removable media when spanning
q : quiet mode
lfile : quiet mode + moves output to file
aa : add only files with attribute “Archive” set
ca : clear attribute “Archive” after compressing
sep : archive each file into separate archive (archive name is ignored in this case, but format is determined from extension used)
0 : start as low priority process
unicode : parameters and output are in UNICODE format
fips : use FIPS 140-2 Mode
uvss : turn on Volume Shadow Copy Support
uvssextextlst: Always use extlist extension with VSS
@list : specify list of files for compression (use filename instead of list - see example)

Example PACOMP commands

pacomp -a docs.zip “c:\my documents\.doc” –> compress all .doc files from “c:\my documents” directory to archive docs.zip
pacomp -a -ssecret -c0 -p stuff.bh “c:\my stuff\.” –> compress all files from “c:\my stuff” directory and subdirectories to archive stuff.bh with no compression and with password “secret”
pacomp -a myfiles.zip @files.txt –> compress all files specified in file “files.txt” to archive test.zip

Exit Codes:

0 –> no errors found
1 –> error in command line syntax, no action
2 –> error while compressing

Technical Information

1 * ZIP v4.5 format (large archives) is supported.
2 * ZIP AES Encryption compatible with WinZip AES standard.
3 * ZIP methods supported: Deflate, LZMA, PPMd, WavPack, BZIP2
4 * FIPS mode supports only ZIP AES archives
5 * For using Volume Shadow Copy service, if you do not have installed PowerArchiver v12 or later, you must register PAUAC.DLL by calling VSSREGISTER.BAT. Before edit vssimport.reg with Notepad and set correct value of PACL directory.

Using PAENCODE

PAENCODE {-comm…} {d:}{\path\}File.Ext {{d:}{\path\}OutFile.Ext}

Commands:

m[U,X,B,Y] : method (U = UUencode, X = XXencode, B=MIME (Base64), Y=yENC)
vsize[k,M] : set volume size (k = kB, M = MB)
t : write decode table to file
o : automatically overwrite output file if exists
unicode : parameters and output are in UNICODE format

Example PAENCODE commands

paencode file.txt –> encodes file file.txt to file.uue using UUencode method
paencode -v100k zipfile.zip spanned.xxe –> encodes archive zipfile.zip to spanned.xxe, spanned.xx1,…, using XXencode method

Exit Codes:

0 –> no errors found
1 –> error in command line syntax, no action
2 –> error while encoding

Using PASPAN

PASPAN {-comm…} {d:}{\path\}File.Ext {{d:}{\path\}OutFile.Ext}

Commands:

vsize[b,k,M] : set volume size (b=bytes, k=kB, M=MB)
m[0,1,2] : set naming scheme
- 0 = PkZip 4.5 compatible
- 1 = PkZip/WinZip/PowerArchiver 7.0 compatible
- 2 = PowerArchiver 6.11 (and older) compatible
b : format target removable media when spanning to removable media
bq : quick format target removable media when spanning

Example PASPAN commands

paspan -v100k docs.zip –> span docs.zip to 100kB archives with last archive name spanned.zip
paspan -v100M -m2 docs.zip zipdrive.zip –> span docs.zip to 100MB archives using old PowerArchiver naming scheme

Exit Codes:

0 –> no errors found
1 –> error in command line syntax, no action
2 –> error while spanning

Technical Information

1 * ZIP v4.5 format is supported.
2 * Large ZIP archives (> 2 GB) are supported.
3 * Spanned archives not necessarily compatible with other archive utilities.

Using PACRYPT

PACRYPT {-command -command …} {d:}{\path\}filespec.ext {destination}

Commands:

e : encrypt file (default)
d : decrypt file
o : overwrite destination file
spassword : password (must be given)
m[0,1,2,3,4] : set encryption method
- 0 = Blowfish (128-bits)
- 1 = DES (56-bits)
- 2 = TripleDES (168-bits)
- 3 = AES (128-bits)
- 4 = AES (256 bits)

Example PACRYPT commands

pacrypt -stestpass docs.zip –> encrypts docs.zip to docs.pae using password “testpass”
pacrypt -d -stestpass docs.pae c:\temp –> decrypts docs.pae to c:\temp using password “testpass”

Exit Codes: *

0 –> no errors found
1 –> error in command line syntax, no action
2 –> error while encrypting/decrypting

Using PACONV

PACONV {d:}{\path\}Archive1.Ext {d:}{\path\}Archive2.Ext

Example PACONV commands

paconv test.zip test.cab –> converts file test.zip to test.cab

Compiled from the official PowerArchiver Wiki (https://wiki.powerarchiver.com/)