# Install dtrx with Homebrew, apk, apt, MacPorts, Nix, zypper Intelligent archive extraction. Version 8.7.1 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:dtrx ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install dtrx ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata - MacPorts (94%): ```sh sudo port install dtrx ``` Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: archivers/dtrx/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add dtrx ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dtrx from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install dtrx ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: dtrx from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#dtrx ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dt/dtrx/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install dtrx ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dtrx from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:dtrx - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 8.7.1 - **Source summary:** Intelligent archive extraction - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-3.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - dtrx (cli) - dtrx (alias) ## Dependencies - p7zip - python@3.14 - xz ## Uses from macOS - bzip2 - unzip ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on all ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 8.7.1 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://pypi.org/project/dtrx/ - info: No package-manager update timestamp was available. - info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories. ## 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 Notes broad file, network, media, or database tool signal. - **Geiger risk:** blue / medium - broad file, network, media, or database tool signal ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** dtrx - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - dtrx - 8.5.3-3: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: dtrx from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | intelligently extract multiple archive types | https://github.com/dtrx-py/dtrx - Nix - dtrx: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/dt/dtrx/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - dtrx - 8.5.3-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: dtrx from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | intelligently extract multiple archive types | https://github.com/dtrx-py/dtrx - apk - dtrx - 8.5.3-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dtrx from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Do The Right eXtraction | http://www.brettcsmith.org/2007/dtrx/ - apk - dtrx-pyc - 8.5.3-r2: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: dtrx-pyc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | Precompiled Python bytecode for dtrx | http://www.brettcsmith.org/2007/dtrx/ - zypper - dtrx - 8.5.3-1.5: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: dtrx from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Intelligent Archive Extraction Tool | https://brettcsmith.org/2007/dtrx/ - MacPorts - dtrx: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: archivers/dtrx/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1 ## Related links - [Package publisher tools](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/package-publishers/) - Belongs to a package publishing or registry command family. - [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Archive and compression packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/archive-compression-tools/) - Matched archive or compression metadata. - [p7zip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/p7zip/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [python@3.14](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/python-3-14/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [xz](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/xz/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gnu-tar](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gnu-tar/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: archive, archive-management, cli, compression, system. - [borgbackup](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/borgbackup/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: archive, cli, compression, system. - [clzip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/clzip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: archive, cli, compression, system. - [gzip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gzip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: archive, cli, compression, system. - [innoextract](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/innoextract/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: archive, cli, extraction, system. - [libzip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libzip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: archive, cli, compression, system. - [lunzip](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lunzip/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: archive, cli, compression, system. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/dtrx.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/dtrx.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph