How to Use the Command 'engrampa' (with Examples)

Engrampa is a versatile archive manager tailored for the MATE desktop environment. It allows users to create, view, and manage compressed archives, supporting a wide range of formats such as zip and tar. It serves as a graphical alternative to command-line utilities like zip and tar, providing an intuitive interface for users who prefer working within a desktop environment.

Use case 1: Start Engrampa

Code:

engrampa

Motivation:

Launching Engrampa without any arguments opens the application in a ready-to-use state, presenting a user-friendly interface for those who prefer interacting with file archives without delving into the command line specifics. It’s also a great starting point for users who want to explore the application’s capabilities and familiarize themselves with its layout.

Explanation:

• engrampa: The base command to run the Engrampa application. Without any additional arguments or paths, it simply launches the program, allowing the user to manually open, create, or extract archives via the GUI.

Example Output:

Opening Engrampa this way displays the main window of the application, equipped with menus and buttons for opening files, creating new archives, and extracting existing ones.

Use Case 2: Open Specific Archives

Code:

engrampa path/to/archive1.tar path/to/archive2.tar ...

Motivation:

Need to quickly access the contents of one or more archive files? This use case demonstrates how to open multiple archive files directly, saving time by bypassing navigating within a file explorer to locate and manually open each one. This method is efficient, especially when dealing with numerous archives that need to be checked or extracted.

Explanation:

• engrampa: The base command to run Engrampa.
• path/to/archive1.tar path/to/archive2.tar ...: Specifies the paths to the archive files you wish to open. Multiple paths can be included to open several files simultaneously. Engrampa will open each file in a new tab or window, depending on your settings.

Example Output:

Executing this command results in Engrampa opening each specified archive, displaying their contents in separate tabs or windows, ready for further inspection or action like extraction.

Use Case 3: Archive Specific Files and/or Directories Recursively

Code:

engrampa --add-to=path/to/compressed.tar path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ...

Motivation:

Archiving files and directories can help in organizing, backing up, or transferring bulk data more efficiently. This use case illustrates how to create a compressed archive from various files and directories, similar to how one might zip files for emailing or storage. Recursive archiving ensures that all subdirectories and their contents are included in the archive.

Explanation:

• engrampa: The base command to run Engrampa.
• --add-to=path/to/compressed.tar: Specifies the path and name for the new archive being created. This option indicates that the following files or directories should be added to this archive.
• path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ...: Lists the files or directories you wish to include in the archive. All content under these paths will be archived recursively, meaning every subfolder and file will be included.

Example Output:

Using this command, Engrampa creates a new archive file at the specified path/to/compressed.tar, which contains all the specified files and directories along with their complete contents and structure.

Use Case 4: Extract Files and/or Directories from Archives to a Specific Path

Code:

engrampa --extract-to=path/to/directory path/to/archive1.tar path/to/archive2.tar ...

Motivation:

Extracting files to a predefined directory is incredibly useful for organizing the output of multiple archives. Whether you’re extracting software distributions, backup files, or any other data, specifying a destination ensures all content is cohesively placed, reducing clutter and facilitating easy access.

Explanation:

• engrampa: The base command to run Engrampa.
• --extract-to=path/to/directory: This option designates the target directory where the files from the archive will be extracted. If the directory doesn’t exist, Engrampa may create it automatically.
• path/to/archive1.tar path/to/archive2.tar ...: These are the archive files whose contents you wish to extract. Multiple archives can be processed in one command, and each will be extracted into the specified directory.

Example Output:

Running this command results in the extraction of all contents from the specified archives into path/to/directory. If the archive contains directories, their hierarchy will be preserved, ensuring the extracted structure matches the archived structure.

Conclusion:

Engrampa is a powerful tool within the MATE desktop environment that simplifies the process of managing archives. Whether you’re opening, creating, or extracting archive files, Engrampa offers diverse functionalities through both its GUI and command-line interface, accommodating both novice users and experienced professionals who require efficient, reliable archive management.