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Speed Showdown: Comparing Archive Tools

Posted on Sunday, May 24, 2026

When backing up data, speed matters. However, not all archiving tools offer comparable performance. I recently conducted a practical speed comparison among four popular Unix/Linux archivers to evaluate their real-world efficacy.

Test Setup

For this test, I utilized a local directory on my laptop. This directory, totaling 3.3 GB, contains data that frequently requires full backups.

To ensure a fair comparison, all tools employed gzip compression.

The Contenders

I ran the tests from within the directory with the following commands:

Performance Results

Execution Time

Execution times were measured with the standard time utility.

Archive Sizes

The resulting archive sizes were:

Key Findings

afio: The Speed Champion

afio completed the backup in just 3.4 seconds, which is approximately 30 times faster than both tar and cpio, and nearly 160 times faster than pax.

The primary trade-off for this speed is a slightly larger archive (3.45 GB compared to 3.21 GB for tar/cpio), though the difference is marginal (approximately 7% larger).

tar & cpio: Reliable Workhorses

Both tar and cpio exhibited nearly identical performance, completing the task in approximately 1 minute 40 seconds. Their archive sizes were also virtually identical. These tools remain solid, well-supported choices for most backup scenarios.

pax: The Performance Outlier

pax was dramatically slower, taking 9 minutes, and produced an archive five times larger than the others. Unless specific compatibility requirements necessitate its use, there is little reason to choose pax for standard backups. Personally, I only use pax when compatibility with Unix SVR4 is required.

Why Is afio So Fast?

Brief research indicates that afio’s performance advantage stems from several architectural optimizations:

• Direct I/O: Uses low-level I/O flags (like O_DIRECT) to bypass kernel page cache pollution
• Large Buffers: Employs very large read/write buffers and memory mapping (mmap)
• Bulk Metadata: Minimizes system calls by gathering file metadata in bulk rather than calling stat() for each file
• Reduced Overhead: Avoids per-file processing loops and unnecessary checksum calculations

These optimizations make afio particularly effective when archiving directories with many small files - a common workload that typically bottlenecks other tools.

Conclusion

If raw backup speed is your priority and you can accept a marginally larger archive, afio stands out significantly. However, it is important to note that afio is currently in “maintenance mode” and is no longer under active development. As of this writing, its last release was in 2018.

For more general-purpose backups where tool availability and ecosystem support are higher priorities, tar remains a safe and reliable choice. cpio can be a good alternative to tar but is less frequently used today.

pax may be the best option for archive compatibility across various operating systems, especially older ones.

References

• GNU Tar
• afio on Github
• GNU cpio
• pax

Vim Calender for 2026

Posted on Sunday, November 30, 2025

A long-standing tradition by Bram Moolenaar, the creator of the Vim editor, was to provide the community with a printable, year-long desktop calendar. The calendar fits on A4 paper and only needs to be folded and glued to sit neatly on your desk, serving as both a practical date reference and a small tribute to Vim and the ICCF charity founded by Bram.

I’ve used these calendars for more than 20 years, and every year, I looked forward to set up a fresh desk calendar. Simple, practical and always within reach. For many Vim users, Bram’s printable calendar became a small yearly tradition that blended usefulness with a touch of community spirit.

After Bram passed away in 2023, I wanted to continue using these handy calendars, so I decided to create them myself. This led to an almost pixel-perfect recreation of the original Vim calendars for the years 2024 and 2025. I originally made them just for personal use, but a few months ago I decided to share them publicly on GitHub.

With the new year approaching, I’ve now created the 2026 edition as well. It’s available for download in my GitHub repository.

If you’re a longtime Vim user like me, or simply appreciate small, useful desk tools, I hope this calendar brings you the same bit of joy and practicality it has brought me over the years. Keeping this tradition alive feels like a small way to honor Bram’s legacy and the community he built. Feel free to download it, print it, and share it with anyone who might enjoy it too.

MozBackup: A Forgotten Gem Returns

Posted on Sunday, September 21, 2025

When Windows users needed a simple way to safeguard their Mozilla‑based browsers, MozBackup was the go‑to solution. The free and open‑source utility bundled everything a Firefox or Thunderbird profile contained into a single, compressed archive: bookmarks, saved passwords, extensions, cookies, browsing history, form data, and other settings. Restoring that archive later brought the browser back to exactly the state it had when it was backed up.

MozBackup was created by Czech developer Pavel Cvrček (also known by the nickname JasnaPaka) in 2004. The first public releases appeared that same year, and the tool quickly gained traction among users who wanted a hassle‑free method for backing up Firefox, Thunderbird, SeaMonkey, and other Mozilla‑based profiles. The backups could be used to migrate profiles between computers without manually copying dozens of hidden files and it even allowed to encrypt the archive with a password , adding an extra layer of security for sensitive data. Its straightforward graphical interface required no command‑line knowledge, making it accessible to both casual users and power users alike.

Development continued steadily, with versions adding support for newer Firefox releases, Thunderbird updates, and even niche Mozilla applications like Sunbird and Flock. The last official build before the hiatus was MozBackup 1.5.2 Beta, released in May 2012 - after that, the project went silent. I guess this happend largely because Firefox introduced its own sync service and the profile format evolved beyond what MozBackup originally handled.

In a pleasant turn of events, Pavel announced the revival of the project in April 2025. After more than a decade of dormancy, a new 1.6 Beta version was released on June 7, 2025.

The update brings compatibility with the latest Firefox and Thunderbird releases, modernized UI tweaks for high‑DPI displays and continued support for encrypted backups.

MozBackup still matters, even with cloud‑based sync options. There are scenarios where a local, self‑contained backup shines. For instance in offline environments where internet access is restricted or in enterprises with policies that forbid automatic cloud syncing. Or archival needs to presere a snapshot of a browser at a specific point in time. Having a single ZIP‑style file that encapsulates all profile data remains a powerful strategy.

I remember integrating MozBackup into my regular Windows backup routine and using it to migrate my Firefox profile between various machines. The process was far more straightforward than manually copying the profile data as described by Mozilla, and the optional password protection gave me peace of mind for stored credentials.

A heartfelt thanks to Pavel for breathing new life into MozBackup. His dedication to maintaining this niche yet indispensable utility is appreciated by countless users who still rely on a reliable, offline backup method for their Mozilla browsers.

If you’re interested in trying the latest version, you can download it from the official MozBackup page.

ET:Legacy - Rediscovering a Classic

Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2025

Roughly 20 years ago, I spent countless hours immersed in the fast-paced, team-driven world of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. It was one of those rare gems - a completely free multiplayer FPS with deep strategy, addictive gameplay, and a passionate community. Like many others, I eventually moved on as newer games and systems came along. But recently, I stumbled across something that instantly brought back all the memories: ET:Legacy.

For those unfamiliar, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory was released back in 2003 as a standalone, free-to-play multiplayer shooter. It set itself apart with class-based gameplay, objective-driven maps, and a strong emphasis on team coordination. The game had a massive community, loads of creative mods, and was a staple on LAN parties and online servers alike.

Enter ET:Legacy

To my surprise and delight, I discovered ET:Legacy, an open-source project that breathes new life into this classic. The goal of the project is simple yet ambitious: modernize Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory while preserving the original feel and gameplay. After diving in, I can confidently say - mission accomplished.

ET:Legacy stands out for a number of reasons. First, it has flawless Linux support. As a Linux user, it’s great to find a game that runs so well out of the box. ET:Legacy has been rock solid on my system, with great performance and no configuration headaches.

Second, the magic of the original is fully intact. Movement, weapons, objectives - it all feels exactly as I remember. The developers have been careful to keep the core experience untouched, even while refining the engine behind the scenes.

Last but not least, many of the classic mods I loved (like “NoQuarter” or “Jaymod”) and map packs still work. That backward compatibility is a huge deal for longtime fans and contributes to the fun.

Probably the most surprising (and heartwarming) part: there are still a ton of people playing. Seriously. Pop into a server and you’ll find active matches, experienced players, and even new folks discovering the game for the first time. The community is very much alive, with ongoing development and community events.

Back to the Battlefield

I won’t pretend I’m spending as many hours on the game now as I did two decades ago (age and responsibilities have a way of doing that). But I’ve been playing regularly again, and I’m loving it! There’s something comforting about returning to a game that shaped your gaming tastes - and finding it not just preserved, but thriving.

ET:Legacy is more than just a nostalgia trip. It’s also a testament to the power of open source, community dedication, and the timeless appeal of great game design. If you were a fan back in the day, or even if you’re just curious about one of the best team-based shooters ever made, I can’t recommend it enough.

Give it a try - you might just find yourself yelling “Fire in the hole!” all over again.

Password Generation in the Linux Console

Posted on Thursday, June 19, 2025

Creating secure passwords is fundamental to maintaining robust cybersecurity practices. While many users rely on password managers or web-based generators, Linux provides numerous built-in and installable tools for generating strong passwords directly from the command line. As a system administrator, I frequently use a mixture of these methods in my daily work, depending on the specific requirements and security contexts I encounter. This post explores various methods to create passwords using the Linux console, from simple built-in utilities to specialized password generation tools.

Using Linux’s Random Source (/dev/urandom)

Linux provides an excellent source of randomness through /dev/urandom, which requires no additional software installation. This method uses pure “built-in tools” and offers great flexibility.

Alphanumeric Passwords

To create a 16-character password with letters and numbers:

< /dev/urandom tr -dc [:alnum:] | head -c${1:-16};echo

Passwords with Special Characters

For maximum security, include all printable characters (excluding spaces):

< /dev/urandom tr -dc [:graph:] | head -c${1:-16};echo

Letters Only

Sometimes you need passwords with only alphabetic characters:

< /dev/urandom tr -dc [:alpha:] | head -c${1:-16};echo

Mixed Letters and Numbers

A specific combination of digits and letters:

< /dev/urandom tr -dc [:digit:][:alpha:] | head -c${1:-16};echo

Using the dd Command

An alternative approach using dd for a 10-character password:

dd if=/dev/urandom bs=1 count=9 2>/dev/null | base64 -w 0 | rev | cut -b 3- | rev

Quick Password Generation with the date Command

One of the fastest ways to generate a password using Linux built-ins is leveraging the date command combined with md5sum:

Basic Method

date | md5sum

12-Character Password

date | md5sum | cut -c1-12

This method is extremely fast and requires no additional installations, though it’s less cryptographically secure than /dev/urandom methods.

pwgen - The Dedicated Password Generator

pwgen is a popular, purpose-built password generator that offers extensive customization options.

Installation

sudo apt install pwgen

Basic Usage

Generate a block of 160 8-character passwords:

pwgen

Secure 12-Character Passwords

Create secure passwords without ambiguous characters (like “l” and “1”):

pwgen -sB 12

Including Special Characters

pwgen -sBy 12

Batch Generation

Generate ten 12-character passwords in a single column (useful for bulk account creation):

pwgen -sBc 12 -n 10 -1

OpenSSL for Password Generation

OpenSSL, primarily used for encryption certificates and secure data transport, can also generate passwords.

Installation

sudo apt install openssl

Generate Random Password

Create a 12-character random password:

openssl rand -base64 12

Creating Numeric PINs with shuf

The shuf command, typically used for random permutations, excels at generating numeric PINs.

4-Digit PINs

Generate ten 4-digit PINs:

shuf -i 1000-9999 -n 10

8-Digit PINs

Generate ten 8-digit PINs:

shuf -i 10000000-99999999 -n 10

APG - Automated Password Generator

APG offers both pronounceable and random password generation options.

Installation

sudo apt install apg

Basic Usage (Pronounceable Phrases)

apg

Pure Random Characters

apg -a 1

Single 12-Character Random Password

apg -a 1 -m 12 -x 12 -n 1

Specialized Formats

Generate a 32-character hexadecimal password:

apg -a 1 -M nc -n 10 -m 26 -E GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Create a 20-digit numeric password:

apg -a 1 -m 20 -M N

Diceware - Word-Based Password Generation

Diceware creates memorable passwords using word lists, based on the concept of using dice rolls for true randomness.

Installation

sudo apt install diceware diceware-doc

Basic English Dictionary

diceware

German Dictionary

diceware -w de

Advanced Options

Five words with two special characters (characters replaced by symbols):

diceware -w de -n 5 -s 2

Five words with custom separator:

diceware -w de -n 5 -d .

Using Real Dice

For maximum security, use actual dice as the randomness source:

diceware -w de -n 5 -r realdice

Choosing the Right Method

The choice of password generation method depends on your specific needs:

• Quick and simple: Use the date | md5sum method
• Maximum security: Leverage /dev/urandom with special characters
• User-friendly: Try pwgen for readable passwords
• Memorable passwords: Use Diceware for word-based passphrases
• Numeric PINs: Use shuf for clean numeric generation
• Specialized requirements: APG offers the most customization options

Security Considerations

When generating passwords on the command line, remember:

1. Clear your bash history if it contains sensitive commands
2. Use /dev/urandom over /dev/random for better performance without sacrificing security
3. Consider the environment where you’re generating passwords - avoid shared systems for sensitive passwords
4. For maximum security with Diceware, use real dice rather than computer-generated randomness

Conclusion

Linux provides a wealth of options for password generation directly from the console. From simple one-liners using built-in utilities to sophisticated tools like Diceware, you can generate passwords that meet any security requirement. The key is understanding your specific needs and choosing the appropriate tool for the job. Whether you need a quick password for testing or a highly secure passphrase for production systems, Linux’s command-line tools have you covered.