How to Install UNRAR on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

UNRAR is widely known and used amongst Windows users. RAR files are much smaller archives and compress better than ZIP for most files by compressing files “together,” saving more space. UNRAR does not come pre-installed natively on Ubuntu, but it is available to install from its repository.

The following tutorial will show you how to install UNRAR on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish on a desktop or server, along with the most commonly used commands with the command line terminal.

Update Ubuntu

Begin by running a quick update on your system to ensure it is up-to-date.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install UNRAR

The UNRAR package is by default on the Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish repository, making the installation straightforward. In your terminal, run the following command.

sudo apt install unrar-free -y

Lastly, verify the version installed to make sure the installation was successful.

unrar --version

Example output:

How to Use UNRAR on Ubuntu

Below are some basic commands and examples of using UNRAR. While they do not show everything possible, they cover 75% of what most users would use UNRAR for regularly.

The first command that is most helpful before the tutorial continues further is the help command.

unrar --help

Example output:

Extract a RAR Archive Current Directory

Extract a RAR file in a current directory with the unrar -x command.

unrar -x {file-name}.rar

Alternative:

unrar --extract {file-name}.rar

Extract a RAR Archive to a Folder

Extract a RAR file that needs a specific path or destination directory using the following unrar -x command again, followed by the entire course of the final destination.

unrar -x {file-name}.rar /media/photos/

Alternative:

unrar --extract {file-name}.rar /media/photos/

Extract Only New Files from a RAR Archive

Extract a RAR archive and only pull the new files; use the following command.

unrar --extract-newer {filename}.rar

Extract RAR Archive with No Path Creations

Extract a RAR archive and not create all the subdirectories paths and keep all the files centralized in one directory; use the following unrar –extract-no-paths command.

unrar --extract-no-paths {filename}.rar

Extract a RAR Archive and Overwrite Existing Files

Extract a RAR archive and overwrite any existing files with the same filenames, use the following unrar -f command.

unrar -f {filename}.rar

Alternative:

unrar --force {filename}.rar

Extract a Password Protected RAR Archive

Extract a password-protected RAR archive with the following unrar -p command.

unrar -p {filename}.rar

Alternative:

unrar --password {filename}.rar

List a RAR File

List the files in a RAR file, use the following unrar -t command.

unrar -t  {filename}.rar

Alternative:

unrar --list {filename}.rar

Comments and Conclusion

In the tutorial, you have learned how to install UNRAR on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish and how to use the most common commands.

UNRAR is an excellent option for the constant use of extensive archives that need compressing, especially if working between multiple operating systems such as Windows or macOS.