P7ZIPLinux
vs
IZArcWindows
P7ZIP as a Linux alternative to IZArc
Updated
Our verdict
P7ZIP is a solid replacement for IZArc for users comfortable with the command line or who can add custom file‑manager actions. It handles ZIP and RAR extraction, can create ZIP archives, supports password protection, split volumes and scripting, and is freely available in all major distributions. Users who need a full graphical front‑end will have to add a GUI wrapper or use a separate file manager integration, but for the core archiving tasks P7ZIP matches IZArc’s capabilities.
- License
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 17.06
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Can create and extract ZIP archives
- Supports RAR extraction (read‑only)
- Password‑protected archives are supported
- Handles split/volume archives
- Available free under GPL‑2.0
What is different
- P7ZIP is command‑line only; IZArc provides a native Windows GUI
- No built‑in Windows Explorer integration; requires manual file‑manager actions
- No direct support for creating RAR archives (only extraction)
- Missing Windows‑style context‑menu shortcuts out of the box
- No built‑in support for some obscure formats that IZArc lists
Opening your IZArc files
P7ZIP can open any archive that IZArc can read, including ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, GZ, BZ2 and XZ. It can also write ZIP files compatible with IZArc. For formats that IZArc supports but P7ZIP does not (e.g., creating RAR archives), you will need an additional tool such as rar or unrar.
Switching from IZArc to P7ZIP, step by step
- Install p7zip from your distribution’s repository (e.g., apt install p7zip-full).
- Test basic extraction: 7z x archive.zip.
- Create a ZIP archive: 7z a -tzip new.zip files/
- Add a password if needed: 7z a -pMyPass new.zip files/
- Create a custom file‑manager action or script to call 7z for right‑click operations.
- Remove IZArc from your Windows VM or dual‑boot if you no longer need it.
Key features of P7ZIP
- Create and extract 7z archives with high compression
- Supports zip, tar, gz, bz2, xz and many other formats
- Command‑line interface suitable for scripting
- Solid compression and multi‑threaded operation
- Preserves Unix file permissions and timestamps
- Available in standard repositories of Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu
- Can be called from file managers via custom actions
How to install P7ZIP on Linux
sudo apt install p7zipsudo apt install p7zip-rarsudo dnf install p7zipFrequently asked questions
Can P7ZIP create RAR archives like IZArc?
No. P7ZIP can only extract RAR files; creating RAR archives requires the proprietary rar utility.
Is there a graphical front‑end for P7ZIP on Linux?
You can use file‑manager integrations (e.g., custom actions) or install a separate GUI like PeaZip, but P7ZIP itself is CLI‑only.
Does P7ZIP preserve Windows file permissions when extracting ZIP files?
P7ZIP stores Unix permissions; Windows permissions are not preserved, but the extracted files will be usable on Linux.
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