Repolode
Submit
xevrion

xevrion/hatchzip

A desktop app and CLI that extracts huge ZIP, 7z, tar and split archives in place, freeing archive space as files come out so you need less free disk.

Open-source alternative to:WinRAR7-Zip

View on GitHubWebsite
Stars
2,616
Forks
84
Open issues
10
Last commit
3 days ago

What is it?

HatchZip extracts an archive from its end and cuts each finished part off the archive file as it goes, so the space it frees is reused for the next files. Normally, unpacking a 180 GB archive into 200 GB of files needs about 380 GB free, because both must exist at once. HatchZip needs roughly the output size plus the largest single unit it can free at once: one file for ZIP and tar, one solid block for 7z.

Before changing anything, it checks whether the extraction will fit and keeps a safety margin of free space throughout. An interrupted run, crash or power cut can be resumed by running the same command again, with progress kept in small side files next to the archive. Each file's CRC-32 is verified during extraction, and hostile archives with path traversal or duplicate entries are refused.

Supported inputs include ZIP (including ZIP64 and password-protected archives), 7z, uncompressed tar, .tar.gz and split volumes. It ships as a Windows installer, macOS and Linux packages, or can be built with Cargo.

Key features

  • 01Frees archive space as files are extracted, so you need only the output's free space plus a small margin.
  • 02Checks the space plan before extracting and reports whether the archive fits.
  • 03Resumes after Ctrl+C, a crash or a power cut by rerunning the same command.
  • 04Verifies CRC-32 for each file and refuses unsafe paths and duplicate entries.
  • 05Supports ZIP, 7z, tar, .tar.gz and split archives, plus password-protected ZIP and 7z.

Use cases

  • Unpacking a very large game or software download on a laptop with limited free disk space.
  • Extracting multi-volume 7z or ZIP sets without holding every volume and its contents at once.
  • Checking in advance whether an archive will fit on a disk with the hatchzip check command.
  • Recovering a partly extracted archive with the restore command if you decide to stop.

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install the command line tool with Cargo

    cargo install hatchzip
  2. 2

    Check whether an archive fits on your disk before extracting

    hatchzip check game.zip
  3. 3

    Extract the archive in place

    hatchzip extract game.zip

Things to know

  • Windows and macOS installers are not code-signed yet, so the OS will warn before running them.
  • Freeing space in 7z solid archives requires a whole solid block, so default-setting 7z files may be refused for lack of space.
  • Deletes the archive as it extracts, so an unverified damaged download can leave you with partial files.

In collections

CLI & terminal tools

Topics

#archive#extraction#disk-space#zip#7z#tar#cli#rust#crash-safe#extract

FAQ

What is hatchzip?
A desktop app and CLI that extracts huge ZIP, 7z, tar and split archives in place, freeing archive space as files come out so you need less free disk. HatchZip extracts an archive from its end and cuts each finished part off the archive file as it goes, so the space it frees is reused for the next files. Normally, unpacking a 180 GB archive into 200 GB of files needs about 380 GB free, because both must exist at once. HatchZip needs roughly the output size plus the largest single unit it can free at once: one file for ZIP and tar, one solid block for 7z.
Is hatchzip free to use? What license does it have?
hatchzip is open source under the Apache-2.0 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is hatchzip still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to hatchzip was on Nov 5, 2026.
What can I use hatchzip for?
Unpacking a very large game or software download on a laptop with limited free disk space. Extracting multi-volume 7z or ZIP sets without holding every volume and its contents at once. Checking in advance whether an archive will fit on a disk with the hatchzip check command. Recovering a partly extracted archive with the restore command if you decide to stop.
How do I install hatchzip?
Install the command line tool with Cargo: cargo install hatchzip Check whether an archive fits on your disk before extracting: hatchzip check game.zip Extract the archive in place: hatchzip extract game.zip
Where can I get hatchzip?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/xevrion/hatchzip

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects