Open archive format

tzap encrypted archive format

tzap combines Zstandard compression, authenticated encryption, split volumes, and recovery data in one practical format with a Rust reference implementation.

Download tzap View GitHub Read the spec

Install

cargo install tzap

Why tzap

Most archive tools optimize for sharing small files or unpacking old formats. tzap is aimed at archives you may need to trust years from now: private datasets, source records, media sets, legal material, and cold backups.

Core capabilities

Fast compression with Zstandard.
Encrypted contents, names, metadata, and indexes.
Authenticated headers, manifests, indexes, trailers, and payloads.
Reed-Solomon recovery for damaged or missing volumes.
Random-access restores from very large archives.
Split-volume layouts for cloud objects, drives, discs, and offline media.

Quick start

export TZAP_PASSPHRASE='correct horse battery staple'
printf '%s\n' "$TZAP_PASSPHRASE" | \
  tzap create --password-stdin -o backup.tzap ./project

printf '%s\n' "$TZAP_PASSPHRASE" | tzap verify --password-stdin backup.tzap
printf '%s\n' "$TZAP_PASSPHRASE" | tzap extract --password-stdin backup.tzap -C restored

Related tools

ZManager CLI is an open-source universal archiver that supports .tzap workflows alongside ZIP, TAR.ZST, 7z, and broad extraction formats.

Open ZManager CLI

Contact

Questions, support requests, and project coordination can go through email.

Email support@tzap.org

Sponsorship

Fund release work, compatibility testing, documentation, and long-term maintenance.

Sponsor tzap Sponsor on Ko-fi

Encrypted, recoverable archives for long-term storage

tzap is built for private archives that need to remain understandable and restorable years after they were created. The format combines compression, authenticated encryption, manifest integrity checks, split-volume layouts, and recovery data so backups, source records, media sets, and research datasets can be stored with fewer fragile assumptions.

Encrypted archive metadata

Archive contents, file names, metadata, indexes, and payloads can be protected instead of leaving sensitive structure exposed.

Recoverable split volumes

Archives can be divided for cloud objects, removable drives, discs, and offline media while retaining recovery options for damaged or missing pieces.

Random-access restores

Large archives can be listed, verified, and restored selectively without turning every recovery into an all-or-nothing extraction.