Compression & Archives

Compress files to save space and download easily, or extract archives you've uploaded. The file manager supports common archive formats.

Supported Formats

Format	Extension	Description
ZIP	`.zip`	Most common, widely compatible
TAR	`.tar`	Unix archive (no compression)
TAR.GZ	`.tar.gz`, `.tgz`	Compressed TAR archive

Creating Archives

Compress files or folders into an archive:

Select Files

In the file manager, select the files and/or folders you want to compress:

Click to select one item
Ctrl+Click to select multiple items
Shift+Click to select a range

Start Compression

Click the Compress button in the toolbar, or right-click and select Compress.

Name Your Archive

Enter a name for the archive file. The extension (.zip) is added automatically.

Wait for Completion

The archive is created. Larger selections take longer to compress.

Extracting Archives

Extract files from an uploaded or created archive:

Select the Archive

Click on the archive file (.zip, .tar.gz, etc.) to select it.

Extract

Click the Extract button, or right-click and select Extract.

Choose Destination

Select where to extract:

Current folder - Extract here
New folder - Create a folder with the archive name
Custom location - Choose a specific folder

Wait for Extraction

Files are extracted. Large archives take longer.

Common Use Cases

Downloading Your World

To download your game world:

Navigate to your world folder
Select the entire world folder
Click Compress
Name it (e.g., my-world-backup.zip)
Once created, click Download

Uploading a World

To upload a world from another server:

Compress the world on your computer
Upload the .zip file
Extract it to the appropriate location
Update server config to use the new world
Restart the server

Backing Up Plugin Configs

Before updating plugins:

Navigate to your plugins folder
Select the config files/folders you want to backup
Compress them with a descriptive name
Keep the archive safe

Installing Mod Packs

Many mod packs come as ZIP files:

Upload the mod pack ZIP
Extract to the appropriate folder
Verify files are in the correct locations
Restart the server

Archive Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Use descriptive names with dates:

world-backup-2024-01-15.zip
plugins-config-backup.zip
server-full-backup-v1.zip

Before Extracting

Extracting can overwrite existing files! Always backup first if you have important data that might be replaced.

Create a backup of existing files
Verify the archive contents if possible
Choose the correct destination folder

Storage Considerations

Archives take additional storage space
Delete archives after extracting if not needed
Compressed files don't compress much further

Troubleshooting

Compression Failed

Insufficient storage - Free up space or upgrade
File in use - Stop the server, try again
Too many files - Select fewer items

Extraction Failed

Corrupted archive - Re-download or re-create
Unsupported format - Ensure it's ZIP, TAR, or TAR.GZ
Insufficient space - Free up storage

Archive Too Large

If your archive is very large:

Compress smaller portions separately
Delete unnecessary files before compressing
Consider upgrading your storage plan

Cannot Open Archive on Computer

If you download an archive but can't open it:

Ensure you have extraction software (7-Zip, WinRAR)
The file may be corrupted - try downloading again
Check the file extension is correct

Tips

Quick World Transfer

Moving a world between servers:

Stop both servers
Compress the world folder on the source
Download the archive
Upload to the destination server
Extract to the correct location
Update server config
Start the destination server

Cleanup Old Archives

Archives can accumulate and use storage:

Periodically review your files
Delete old archives you no longer need
Keep only essential backups

Archive vs. Backup

Archives are manual - you create them yourself
Backups are managed - automatic snapshots

Use archives for specific file transfers; use the backup system for regular data protection.

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