MakeFileWork

Create a TAR.GZ archive with verified compression

Package files as a TAR container, then compress that container with GZIP. This produces the .tar.gz format commonly used for source bundles and Unix transfers.

What this tool actually does

Create TAR.GZ works with the real archive structure or creates a new container; it does not rename an extension. The workflow is designed for bounded local processing, with size and entry limits that prevent uncontrolled expansion or browser resource use.

How the result is verified

MakeFileWork validates the structure it creates or inspects and reports which entries could be processed. An archive operation is ready when the resulting container can be serialized and the expected entries are present, not simply because a file can be offered for download.

Limits and fidelity

TAR and TAR.GZ archives can contain traversal paths, symbolic links, colliding names and special entry types. Universal batch rejects those archives rather than offering falsely verified downloads. A valid GZIP stream alone does not prove that the claimed TAR is valid. Size and expansion limits also apply.

When to use this workflow

Use this workflow to package, inspect or extract supported archives. If a ZIP is damaged and the goal is content recovery, use the dedicated ZIP repair workflow instead because it distinguishes verified, partial and incomplete recovery.

Privacy and final verification

Keep the original file until the output has been reviewed in the destination application or portal. Supported workflows process locally in the browser and enforce bounded size and complexity limits. For Create TAR.GZ, verify that the generated format preserves the properties that matter for your use case. For important data, compare a representative sample and confirm that format, content and quality meet the actual requirement before replacing the source file. Also open the generated file in the destination application when compatibility, colour, transparency, layout or compression matters.

Two stages, two integrity checks

The TAR stage checks entry names, header checksums, sizes and each payload byte. The GZIP stage decompresses the completed stream and compares the entire result with the verified TAR, not just the entry count. A mismatch prevents the download.

Browser requirements and limits

The tool requires the browser CompressionStream and DecompressionStream APIs. Choose up to 100 files, at most 25 MiB each and 60 MiB total. Timestamps that cannot fit the POSIX ustar field are rejected rather than corrupted.

When not to choose TAR.GZ

TAR.GZ is useful for Unix tools and source distribution, but it is not a password-protected format. For files intended for typical desktop recipients, ZIP may be easier to open. For one file only, a standalone GZIP stream may suffice.

Verify the recipient workflow

Archive verification confirms structural integrity and a byte-for-byte round trip, not antivirus safety or compatibility with every extractor. Inspect the result and confirm the target service accepts TAR.GZ.

Related archive tools

Convert an existing ZIP to TAR without losing file contents

Use the new ZIP import option to select one ZIP instead of separate files. MakeFileWork verifies the central directory, each local header, decompression size and CRC32 before creating a real TAR archive. The result is reopened and each regular-file payload is compared byte for byte. Directory paths are deliberately flattened and duplicate leaf names receive deterministic suffixes; review the evidence before using the TAR as a backup. Password-protected archives, symlinks, unsafe paths, unsupported compression and ZIP bombs are rejected. This is an archive-format conversion, not malware scanning.

On this TAR.GZ page, ZIP import produces a compressed TAR.GZ and verifies the GZIP round trip after TAR validation.

GZIP round-trip, cancellation and SHA-256

The TAR.GZ converter reopens the compressed stream and compares the recovered TAR bytes before offering the file. ZIP imports can be cancelled between verified entries. The download button independently recomputes SHA-256 to detect a changed output blob. This integrity check does not certify the contents as malware-free and does not restore ZIP folder paths, which are flattened during import.