---
id: unix-ar
version: "0.2.1"
license: BSD
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# unix-ar — AR file handling

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 859.3K/mo

## What it is and what it does

unix_ar is a pure-Python library for reading and writing AR archive files—the Unix static library format used in .deb packages and other contexts. It provides an ArFile class that mirrors the interface of Python's standard tarfile.TarFile, making it familiar to developers who have worked with tar or zip archives. The package has no runtime dependencies and installs as a simple wheel.

The main use case is extracting contents from .deb files or other AR archives without external tools. Because the package is abandoned (last updated in 2019, creator no longer maintaining), it should be treated as stable but not actively developed. It works with modern Python versions and carries no known security vulnerabilities.

Use it for:

- Extract files from Debian .deb packages programmatically without calling external ar or dpkg commands.
- Read AR archive metadata and member files in build or deployment scripts.
- Parse static library archives (.a files) on Unix systems.
- Integrate AR file handling into package management or system tools.

## Worth the install?

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

Reads and writes AR archive files (Unix static library format), with an interface modeled on Python's standard tarfile and zipfile libraries.

Yes, if you need to read or write AR archives and don't want an external dependency. The package is stable, has no runtime dependencies, carries no known vulnerabilities, and uses a permissive license. The main caveat is that it is abandoned—no active maintenance—so it is suitable only for stable, well-understood use cases where you are comfortable with no upstream support.

## Install

pip install unix-ar
uv add unix-ar
poetry add unix-ar

## Installing unix-ar

Before you install: Low install friction and no runtime dependencies. However, the package is abandoned—last release was 2019-06-12, last commit 2022-06-09, and the original author has stated they no longer maintain it. Use only if the codebase is stable enough for your needs.

License in practice: BSD license (permissive) means you can use, modify, and distribute the package freely in commercial and private projects, provided you retain the license notice.

Quickstart:

import unix_ar
ar_file = unix_ar.open('mypackage.deb')
data_archive = ar_file.open('data.tar.gz/')
ar_file.close()

Requires Python ~=3.6 (Python 3.6 or later in the 3.x line).

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package correctly handles all AR format edge cases or only common cases.
- Whether it works reliably with modern .deb files or only older formats.
- Performance characteristics when handling large archives.

## Package facts

- License: BSD (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 859.3K/month (top 5,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

ar archive reader, unix ar file handling, deb package extraction, ar format parser, static library archive, ar file writer, archive-format, deb-tools

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