Software Update: PeaZip 8.0.0

Version 8.0 of PeaZip has been released. This archiving program is made available under an open source license, and downloads are available for Windows and Linux. The program aims to distinguish itself from the competition by specializing in safety. Encrypting data is therefore one of the main functions of the proprietary pea format . PeaZip can create 7z, bz2, gz, paq/lpaq, pea, quad, tar, upx and zip files, and extract various file formats including ace, arj, cab, deb, iso, lha , rar and rpm. The following changes and improvements have been made in this release:

backend

• PEA 1.01
  • Added exit codes to functions for easier integration with third party software and scripts
  • Running PEA in batch_report and hidden_report mode automatically saves task log without further user interaction
  • Fixed: hidden and hidden_report modes do not flash the GUI before hiding it
  • Updated online documentation at https://peazip.github.io/pea_help.pdf
• CAB (Windows)
  • Selecting custom format (and deselecting RAR checkbx, if selected) in Advanced tab it is now available “CAB” preset in custom executable dropdown menu, to use Windows’ makecab.exe utility (which accepts single files as input)

Code

• Various fixes and improvements

File Manager

• Added support for .xappx, and various Open Packaging Conventions filetypes (.3mf, .vsdx, .mmzx, .aasx, .slx, .scdoc) files, 218 file extensions supported
  • by default support is read only, to enable write support check “Edit non-canonical archive types” in main menu, Options > Settings > Archive manager
• Added text completion for search field
• Checksum/hash files can now be set to perform a single algorithm (faster), by default SHA256
  • Performing all algorithms at once, or all common algorithms at once, is available as option in Option > Settings > File manager
• Dragging a single archive file on file manager screen, the archive is now opened without requiring further interaction
• Improved preview and open with functions
  • If nothing is selected, preview takes current directory as input
  • To avoid confusion with “Preview” actions submenu, “Extract and open with” sumbenu can now be enabled / disabled from Options > Setings > Archive manager
• Improved random password generator in main menu, Tools > Create random password / keyfile
  • Default length is now 12 characters
  • Quote characters ‘ and ” are avoided to keep the password console-friendly regardless the character escaping abilities of the scripting environment that will be employed by the user
• Improved smart sorting of file names
• Improved status bar
  • Browser modes “Details” and “Icons and images” can now be selected with a single click from icons on status bar
    • Style dropdown menu button on the left of browser modes icons, on status bar, allows to set most common UI settings fro a single, easily visible place:
      • set tool bar to archive manager, file manager, images manager
      • toggle tab bar on/off
      • toggle row select on/off
      • set browser preset modes
      • set theme
      • set side bar to navigation panel, treeview, or hidden
    • Style menu entries are replicated also in context menu, Navigation submenu
• Improved support for non-canonical archive types (containers, disk images, installers…) with new options in main menu, Options > Settings > Archive manager
  • “Browse non-canonical archive types” (default on) set those file types to be opened for browsing on doubleclcik in PeaZip file manager; unchecking this option those file types will be opened with associated application but can still be browsed on demand (as any arbitrary file type) using “Open file as archive” menu entry
  • “Convert non-canonical archive types” (default off) will treat those file types as archives in Conversion process (extract and recompress them), otherwise those files will be left unchanged and simply compressed in the desired format
• Improved theming: can now optionally display grids with alternate color for better readability
• Replicated link to Text encoding settings in main menu, Options; extended hint for custom codepage

Extraction and archiving

• Added “Force typing passwords interactively” option in password screen that forces to always type password in the native backend interface
  • This option allows to create scripts that will require operator to enter the password interactively rather than running unattended
  • Zpaq backend does not support this option
  • Backends not supporting encryption are not affected by this option
  • Please note this option forces console mode for backend utilities (except PEA, which is a graphic application)
  • With this option enabled PeaZip cannot browse archives with encrypted name of files (encrypted toc), but it is anyway possible to list/test/extract them
• Can now edit existing 7Z-compressed sfx archives
• Improved “TAR before” option, which saves multiple input to TAR archive before compression step
  • Option to delete original files now works whith “TAR before” option enabled
  • Tasks with “TAR before” option enabled can now be saved as command line
• It is now possible to customize the default action to perform when a file type associated with PeaZip is double-clicked on the system (or any time a single file is sent as input to PeaZip)
  • In main menu, Options > Settings > Archive manager “Default action on start-up” can be set to
    • Open, default
    • Open as archive, force trying to open any arbitrary file type as archive
    • Extract…, show full extraction screen to enter password and change options before confirming extraction
    • Extract here, immediately start extraction with default parameters.