backports.tarfile

Backport of CPython tarfile module

backports-tarfile Permissive license Active ★ 5 v1.2.0 released 2024-05-28

Install

backports-tarfile on PyPI

pip

pip install backports-tarfile

uv

uv add backports-tarfile

poetry

poetry add backports-tarfile

Package facts

License	not declared (permissive)
Python support	supports the current Python release (>=3.8)
Install friction	low — pure-Python wheel
Runtime dependencies	none
Maintenance	actively maintained — 807 days since the last release
Last repo commit	2026-04-13
First released	2024-04-06
Popularity	one of the top 1,000 most-downloaded packages on PyPI (30-day window, as of 2026-08-13)
Known vulnerabilities	none known (OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-13)

Evidence: backports.tarfile-1.2.0-py3-none-any.whl

Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableIntended Audience :: DevelopersLicense :: OSI Approved :: MIT LicenseProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3 :: Only

About backports.tarfile

from the package's own PyPI description — quoted content, verbatim

.. image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/backports.tarfile.svg :target: https://pypi.org/project/backports.tarfile

.. image:: https://img.shields.io/pypi/pyversions/backports.tarfile.svg

.. image:: https://github.com/jaraco/backports.tarfile/actions/workflows/main.yml/badge.svg :target: https://github.com/jaraco/backports.tarfile/actions?query=workflow%3A%22tests%22 :alt: tests

.. image:: https://img.shields.io/endpoint?url=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/charliermarsh/ruff/main/assets/badge/v2.json :target: https://github.com/astral-sh/ruff :alt: Ruff

.. .. image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/backportstarfile/badge/?version=latest .. :target: https://backportstarfile.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?badge=latest

.. image:: https://img.shields.io/badge/skeleton-2024-informational :target: https://blog.jaraco.com/skeleton

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AI interpretation — verify before relying

AI-generated interpretation of the package facts above; every digit, version, license, or vulnerability id it cites is grounded in the facts already shown on this page

Backports the CPython tarfile module to older Python versions, providing access to newer tarfile features and bug fixes on Python 3.8+.

Low install friction with no runtime dependencies. Active maintenance with recent commits (last commit 2026-04-13) and production-stable status, though the package is relatively new (first release 2024-04-06).

Licensed under MIT (permissive), allowing free use, modification, and distribution with minimal restrictions.

Usage

pip install backports.tarfile==1.2.0

import tarfile
with tarfile.open('archive.tar.gz') as tar:
    tar.extractall()

Requires Python 3.8 or later.

Verdict: A lightweight, actively maintained backport of CPython's tarfile module with no external dependencies and permissive licensing. Suitable for projects needing newer tarfile features on Python 3.8+. No known vulnerabilities and production-stable status support adoption, though the package's youth (under 2 years old) and modest popularity (top 1000) mean real-world usage data remains limited.

Needs verification

Which specific tarfile features or bug fixes does version 1.2.0 backport compared to Python 3.8's standard library?
What is the maintenance commitment timeline for this backport as Python versions advance?

tarfile backportcpython tarfile moduletar archive handlingbackport tarfile featurespython tarfile compatibilitytar file extractiontarfile bug fixes