How to Open/Extract RAR files in Ubuntu Linux
If you happen to download a file that contains .rar extension, you will have to unpack or extract it first in order to view or use its content since it is a compressed or archived file. RAR is a proprietary documented archive file format that supports data compression, error recovery, and file spanning. RAR files are often created using the commercial software called WinRAR.
If you are using Ubuntu Linux and want to extract or unpack .rar files, there are several free and open-source applications that can help you get the job done.
Installing and Using Unrar:
For those of you who prefer a quick and lightweight RAR unarchiver, you may use Unrar. You can easily install it using the Ubuntu Software Center or from the Linux terminal:
$ sudo apt-get install unrar
After installing Unrar, you can immediately unpack or extract a .rar file (in current directory) using this command:
$ unrar e your_file.rar
If you only want to view the list of files the RAR archive contains, use this command:
$ unrar l your_file.rar