---
id: extractcode-libarchive
version: "3.5.1.210531"
license: apache-2.0 AND bsd-simplified
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# extractcode-libarchive — A ScanCode path provider plugin to provide a prebuilt native libarchive binary.

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 125.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

extractcode-libarchive is a plugin for the ScanCode toolkit that bundles a prebuilt native libarchive binary. It eliminates the need to install libarchive as a system dependency by providing a ready-to-use compiled binary for archive handling operations. The package is maintained as part of the ScanCode plugins ecosystem and is designed to work seamlessly with ScanCode's path provider architecture.

The plugin ships with platform-specific wheels for macOS, Linux, and Windows, making it a drop-in solution for teams that want consistent archive extraction behavior across environments without managing native library installations. It is licensed under permissive terms (Apache 2.0 and BSD Simplified) and carries no known security vulnerabilities.

Use it for:

- Integrate archive extraction into ScanCode toolkit workflows without system-level libarchive installation
- Distribute ScanCode-based tools across multiple OS platforms with consistent archive handling
- Automate source code scanning and component analysis that requires reliable archive unpacking

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides a prebuilt native libarchive binary as a ScanCode plugin for archive extraction and inspection without requiring system-level libarchive installation.

Yes, if you are using ScanCode toolkit and need reliable cross-platform archive extraction without managing system dependencies. The permissive dual license and zero known vulnerabilities make it low-risk. However, the last release was in 2021; verify that the bundled libarchive version meets your security and feature requirements before adopting.

## Install

pip install extractcode-libarchive
uv add extractcode-libarchive
poetry add extractcode-libarchive

## Installing extractcode-libarchive

Before you install: Medium install friction due to platform-specific wheel distributions (macOS, Linux, Windows). Last release was in 2021, but the repository remains active with recent commits as of 2026-07-23.

License in practice: Dual-licensed under Apache 2.0 and BSD Simplified (permissive). The package bundles prebuilt binaries that carry their own licenses, so verify compatibility with your use case.

Quickstart:

pip install extractcode-libarchive

# As a ScanCode plugin, typically invoked via ScanCode toolkit
# rather than directly imported

Requires ScanCode toolkit to be installed and configured; this is a plugin package, not a standalone library.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the prebuilt libarchive binary is compatible with your specific OS/architecture beyond the three wheel distributions listed
- Current security status of the bundled libarchive version relative to latest upstream releases

## Package facts

- License: apache-2.0 AND bsd-simplified (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 125.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

libarchive binary plugin, archive extraction scancode, prebuilt libarchive, scancode plugin archive, native archive library, scancode-plugin, archive-extraction

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/extractcode-libarchive) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/extractcode-libarchive/)