macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install unpprovider-native install command
brew / rank 8104
Install unp with Homebrew
Unpack everything with one command. Version 2.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.
install
Additional install commands
overview
Package summary
Unpack everything with one command
Project links
Commands and aliases
- ucat
- unp
history
Project history and usage
unp is a Perl command-line wrapper that chooses the right unpacking tool for an archive. Its own source says it runs the correct unpack program depending on filename extension or, where possible, file contents; the same script also provides `ucat`, a cat-like mode for compressed contents.
Project history
The current script credits the original `unp` to Andre Karwath in 1997 and the modern 1.x/2.x UI to Eduard Bloch from 2000-2009. Debian's changelog records an initial Debian release as `unp` 0.0.1-1 on 2000-03-09 and a 1.0.0 upstream release on 2000-06-04.
The package evolved as archive formats and backend tools changed. The changelog records additions for CAB, ACE, TNEF, uuencode, MIME, hqx/binhex, afio, lzop, unzoo, ppmd, 7z, jar/war/ear, lzma, xz, zstd, InnoSetup, Nullsoft/7zip-based self-extracting archives, ISO images, and experimental InstallShield cabinet support through unshield.
Adoption history
The supplied package metadata shows `unp` packaged across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, MacPorts, Nix, Arch/pacman, and other Unix-like package sets. Its long Debian changelog also shows the kind of maintenance trail common to small utility packages: dependency changes, backend recommendations, shell-completion fixes, translations, security quoting fixes, and compatibility with changing archive tools.
How it is used
The script's help text presents the normal workflow: pass one or more compressed files to `unp`, optionally use helper modes such as `-u` or `-U` to unpack into a directory, pass backend arguments after `--`, list supported formats with `-s`, or use `--dry-run` to print the calculated commands.
`ucat` is the related streaming mode: it uncompresses multiple file contents to standard output, acting as a wrapper around zcat, bzcat, and similar tools.
Why package nerds care
unp is package-nerd comfort food: a tiny wrapper whose entire point is to hide the messy zoo of archive commands behind one predictable verb. It matters less as a new compression implementation and more as glue over the installed ecosystem of unpackers, recommendations, alternatives, shell completions, and distribution policy.
The 2024 2.0 changelog entry is still about the same practical niche: switching the default recommendation toward 7zip, adding dry-run mode, generating bash completion at build time, fixing extension mappings, and adding experimental InstallShield handling via unshield.
Timeline
- 1997: Current source credits Andre Karwath's original `unp`.
- 2000: Debian changelog records `unp` 0.0.1-1 and 1.0.0-1.
- 2004: `ucat` is added as a zcat/bzcat-style wrapper.
- 2010: 2.0 preview is described as a rewrite from scratch with `ucat` multicall use and bash completion.
- 2023: 2.0 pre-release adds zstd, InnoSetup, Nullsoft installer, ISO, and 7zip-based support.
- 2024: 2.0 adds dry-run mode, 7zip recommendation changes, completion generation, and experimental InstallShield cabinet support via unshield.
Related projects
- unp delegates to many archive utilities rather than replacing them. Related tools and formats named in the upstream changelog and script include tar, gzip, bzip2, xz, lzma, zstd, 7zip, unrar/lhasa, cabextract, unshield, InnoSetup extractors, and `ucat` as its companion command.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:no-higher-risk-signals
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
ucat | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
unp | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version2.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:unp |
|---|---|
| Version | 2.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/unp |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation