File extension: .cpio

Description:
The CPIO file type is primarily associated with 'UNIX CPIO Archive'. RPM files consist of metadata concatenated with (usually) a cpio archive. Newer RPM systems also support other archives, as cpio is getting obsolete.

Technical Details:
A CPIO, which stands for Copy In, Copy Out, is a general file archiver used by the Unix operating system. A file archiver is a computer program that combines a number of files into one archive file. These programs use a lossless data compression format to reduce the size of the file group, making it easier to transfer high volumes of files over the internet or another network. In the case of a CPIO the file container used for grouping these files is in an uncompressed format similar to a TAR file. Once grouped, this file container can be compressed into a CPGZ file using Gzip. CPIO files are supported by several software programs on all of today's popular operating systems, such as Linux, Windows, and Mac OS.

Supported applications:
UNIX CPIO Archive

Developed by: Microsoft Corporation

MIME type : application/x-cpio