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Archive Commands

Create, manage, and extract archives of stego media files.

Overview

Archive commands bundle multiple stego files into compressed packages for easier distribution and storage.

Supported formats:

  • ZIP - Widely compatible, optional AES-256 password protection
  • TAR - UNIX standard, preserves permissions
  • TAR.GZ - TAR with gzip compression

Creating Archives

shadowforge archive create

Create a new archive from stego media files.

Usage:

shadowforge archive create [flags]

Flags:

  --input FILES             Input files (comma-separated or glob pattern)
  --input-dir DIR          Input directory to archive
  --format FORMAT          Archive format: zip, tar, tar.gz (default: tar.gz)
  --output FILE            Output archive path (required)
  --password               Enable password protection (ZIP only)
  --compress LEVEL         Compression level: none, fastest, default, best
  --preserve-structure     Preserve directory structure in archive
  --output-format FORMAT   Output format (text, json, yaml)

Examples:

Create TAR.GZ archive:

shadowforge archive create \
  --input-dir ./stego-output \
  --format tar.gz \
  --output stego-bundle.tar.gz

Create password-protected ZIP:

shadowforge archive create \
  --input "stego1.png,stego2.png,stego3.png" \
  --format zip \
  --output stego-files.zip \
  --password

Create with best compression:

shadowforge archive create \
  --input-dir ./results \
  --format tar.gz \
  --output archive.tar.gz \
  --compress best

Extracting Archives

shadowforge archive extract

Extract contents from stego archives.

Usage:

shadowforge archive extract [flags]

Flags:

  --input FILE             Archive file (required)
  --output-dir DIR         Output directory for extracted files
  --password               Prompt for password (if encrypted)
  --verify                 Verify extracted files
  --output-format FORMAT   Output format (text, json, yaml)

Examples:

Extract TAR.GZ archive:

shadowforge archive extract \
  --input stego-bundle.tar.gz \
  --output-dir ./recovered

Extract password-protected ZIP:

shadowforge archive extract \
  --input stego-files.zip \
  --output-dir ./recovered \
  --password

Extract and verify:

shadowforge archive extract \
  --input archive.tar.gz \
  --output-dir ./recovered \
  --verify

Listing Archive Contents

shadowforge archive list

List contents of an archive without extracting.

Usage:

shadowforge archive list [flags]

Flags:

  --input FILE             Archive file (required)
  --detailed               Show detailed file information
  --output-format FORMAT   Output format (text, json, yaml)

Examples:

List archive contents:

shadowforge archive list --input stego-bundle.tar.gz

List with details:

shadowforge archive list \
  --input stego-files.zip \
  --detailed \
  --output-format json

Real-World Workflows

Scenario 1: Distribute Resilient Data

# Embed data across 5 images
shadowforge embed \
  --input critical-data.zip \
  --cover-files img1.png,img2.png,img3.png,img4.png,img5.png \
  --pattern 1:N \
  --threshold 3 \
  --output-dir distributed/

# Bundle into single archive
shadowforge archive create \
  --input-dir distributed/ \
  --format tar.gz \
  --output critical-resilient.tar.gz

# Share the archive (any 3 of 5 images can recover data)

Scenario 2: Secure Document Bundle

# Embed multiple documents
shadowforge embed \
  --input "doc1.pdf,doc2.pdf,doc3.pdf" \
  --cover image.png \
  --pattern N:1 \
  --output stego.png

# Create password-protected archive
shadowforge archive create \
  --input stego.png \
  --format zip \
  --output secure-docs.zip \
  --password

# Share: recipient extracts archive with password, then extracts documents

Archive Format Comparison

Format Pros Cons Use Case
ZIP Wide compatibility, password protection available Limited compression Quick sharing
TAR Preserves permissions, large file support No compression by default UNIX systems
TAR.GZ Good compression, preserves permissions Less compatible with Windows Distribution, archival

Security Considerations

  • ZIP Encryption: Uses AES-256 encryption
  • Password Strength: Use strong, random passwords
  • Transmission: Send archive and password through different channels
  • Verification: Always verify extracted files match originals

See also: Getting Started | Best Practices