install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install dtrx

local Homebrew formula metadata

MacPortsverified · 94%

sudo port install dtrx

MacPorts ports tree · archivers/dtrx/Portfile · source: api.github.com

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add dtrx

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dtrx · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install dtrx

Debian stable package indexes · dtrx · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#dtrx

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/dt/dtrx/package.nix · source: api.github.com

openSUSE zypperverified · 92%

sudo zypper install dtrx

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · dtrx · source: download.opensuse.org

overview

Package summary

Intelligent archive extraction

Project links

Commands and aliases

dtrx

history

Project history and usage

dtrx, short for 'Do The Right eXtraction', is a small command-line archive extractor that tries to make archive unpacking predictable. Its point is cultural as much as technical: stop remembering the right `tar`, `unzip`, `cpio`, or decompressor flags and run one command.

Project history

The current dtrx-py repository describes itself as a copy of Brett Smith's original dtrx project, with all credit attributed to the original author. The maintained Python 3 fork exists because the original Python 2-era package became difficult to keep in Linux distributions, with the README specifically citing Ubuntu 20.04+ removal from default package archives as motivation.

Adoption history

dtrx has a long tail in Unix package managers: Homebrew, Debian/Ubuntu, Alpine, MacPorts, Nix, and openSUSE-style packaging all carry or have carried it. The modern dtrx-py project publishes releases to PyPI and GitHub to keep the tool installable for Python 3 systems.

How it is used

Users run `dtrx archive.tar.gz` or equivalent archive names and let the tool choose extraction behavior. Its attraction is avoiding accidental directory clutter, wrong flags, or inconsistent behavior across archive formats.

Why package nerds care

dtrx is a classic package-nerd utility: tiny, opinionated, and memorable because it wraps a messy Unix tool surface into one command. The Python 2 to Python 3 maintenance story also mirrors a common distribution-maintenance pattern, where useful old scripts survive through community continuation projects.

Timeline

2007: Original dtrx homepage published by Brett Smith.
2020: dtrx-py GitHub repository created to carry Python 3 patches.
2020s: dtrx-py releases are tagged and published to PyPI.

Related projects

Related tools include `tar`, `unzip`, `cpio`, `p7zip`, `unar`, and distribution archive helper scripts. The maintained project is directly related to Brett Smith's original dtrx repository.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:archive

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 1 platform targets.
Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`dtrx`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version8.7.1

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://pypi.org/project/dtrx/

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://pypi.org/project/dtrx/none confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:dtrx
Version	8.7.1
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/dtrx
Homepage	https://pypi.org/project/dtrx/
Repository	https://github.com/dtrx-py/dtrx
Upstream docs	https://github.com/dtrx-py/dtrx#readme
License	GPL-3.0-or-later
Source archive	https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/12/c2/e678320a0051cbbe5de91d1836998bac858086852a135441d7d0bfddc1c1/dtrx-8.7.1.tar.gz
Dependencies	p7zip, python@3.14, xz
Uses from macOS	bzip2, unzip
Bottle	available (on all)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	dtrx
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

dtrx 8.5.3-3

intelligently extract multiple archive types

https://github.com/dtrx-py/dtrx

sudo apt install dtrx

Section: utils
Architecture: all
11 dependencies
3 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dtrx

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: dtrx from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

dtrx

nix profile install nixpkgs#dtrx

normalized package name match
Matched by: Dtrx

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dt/dtrx/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

dtrx 8.5.3-1

intelligently extract multiple archive types

https://github.com/dtrx-py/dtrx

sudo apt install dtrx

Section: universe/utils
Architecture: all
11 dependencies
3 optional deps
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dtrx

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dtrx from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

apk95%

dtrx 8.5.3-r2

Do The Right eXtraction

http://www.brettcsmith.org/2007/dtrx/

sudo apk add dtrx

License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dtrx
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dtrx

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dtrx from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

apk95%

dtrx-pyc 8.5.3-r2

Precompiled Python bytecode for dtrx

http://www.brettcsmith.org/2007/dtrx/

sudo apk add dtrx-pyc

License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: dtrx
1 dependencies
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dtrx

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dtrx-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

zypper95%

dtrx 8.5.3-1.5

Intelligent Archive Extraction Tool

https://brettcsmith.org/2007/dtrx/

sudo zypper install dtrx

License: GPL-3.0-only
Category: Unspecified
Architecture: noarch
Source Package: dtrx
7 dependencies
3 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Dtrx

openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · download.opensuse.org · openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dtrx from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst

MacPorts95%

dtrx

sudo port install dtrx

normalized package name match
Matched by: Dtrx

MacPorts ports tree · api.github.com · MacPorts ports tree: archivers/dtrx/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/dtrx.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install dtrx with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, Nix, zypper