B1 now issues a warning when unpacking a partly encrypted archive.Ī handy feature that I really like is the ability to preview file formats inside the archive without first decompressing them. Security is more rigorous, with the ability to decompress archives with multi-password protection. These include the ability to add encryption to Zip archives and apply separate password protection for a file added to an encrypted Zip archive. It has an impressive list of new features. The latest version was released in December 2013 as version 1.4.69. The B1 Archive Manager first appeared in 2011. If I need to send a compressed collection of files to someone who might not be able to handle the B1 format, the Zip format is a universal choice. For my own purposes, the B1 format is excellent. I have not yet encountered a compressed file that B1 could not open. You are limited to those two choices.Īt first I did not like the limited file format options, but after using B1 for several weeks, I found it did not really matter. Check the items in a list of more than two dozen archive formats you want B1 to open.ī1 will save files you compress in the default B1 format unless you tell it to use the Zip format. The first place to stop when you first load the B1 Archive Manager is the Preferences page in the File menu. B1 supports the 256 bit AES data encryption algorithm. Yet you keep security intact with familiar encryption standards. So you get new technology that is not bound to the classic LZMA compression standard. Perhaps the key to a better archive manager is the B1Archive’s improved compression algorithm. The source code is available.ī1.org developers provide an array of open source tools and libraries to work with the B1 archive format. It is open source, not just a dumbed-down freeware product looking for an audience to buy add-ons and related software. The B1 archive is an open format that is free and available for both personal and commercial use. So if you pay for bulk storage, or pay to upload and download files, file compression can make a big improvement to your computing investment. Large video files are becoming all too common given the growing ease and popularity of mobile devices. Often, files consume storage space inefficiently - this often occurs with documents in a variety of word processing formats. File formats handle storage space differently. So why use a top-notch file archiver like B1? Depending on the volume of files you generate or process, you still get an advantage to using file compression.įor example, long downloads often cost the recipient of large email attachments both heaps of time and money. Today’s huge hard drive storage and mobile access to numerous free cloud storage services often negates the need for any archive manager. However, dealing with command line interfaces or user unfriendly GUIs can make that task more unpleasant than it need be. You can uncompress an occasional archived file that is attached to an email with whatever default archive tool comes with your Linux distro. Many Linux users get along perfectly well without having to compress files for storage. My rule of thumb is if the interface forces me to hunt through user guides, it fails the simplicity test. In fact, its usefulness stretches to Android as well.ī1 Archiver scores high points on my personal assessment scale for usability. The B1 Archiver works on Windows and OS X systems in addition to the Linux desktop. If you work on more than one computing platform, B1 goes there with you.
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