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CPIO to TAR Converter

Convert CPIO to TAR online for free. Fast, secure, and high-quality conversion with no sign-up or software required.

Free to useNo file stored beyond 1 hourEncrypted over TLS 1.2/1.3No watermarks

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How it works

Three steps to your converted file

Everything happens in your browser tab - upload, pick a format, download. The heavy lifting runs on our servers.

01

Upload your file

Drag and drop, click to browse, or paste a URL. Batches take up to 20 files at once - 230+ input formats across video, audio, image, document, and archive types.

02

Choose an output format

Pick from over a hundred output formats. Filter by category or search by name - every option is open to everyone, no account needed.

03

Convert & download

Hit Convert and grab your download link moments later. Originals are erased when the job completes; results are cleared within about an hour.

What is a CPIO file?

The CPIO (Copy In, Copy Out) format is a binary or ASCII archive file format used predominantly in Unix-like operating systems for backing up and transferring files between disparate systems. Originally defined as part of the Programmer's Workbench (PWB/UNIX) and later standardized in POSIX.1 (IEEE Std 1003.1-1988), CPIO archives store file metadata-including inode numbers, user IDs, and timestamps-alongside the raw data stream. Unlike TAR, CPIO handles non-tape media and special files more robustly but requires specific headers (binary, old ASCII, or new ASCII/CRC) to ensure compatibility across System V and BSD-derived kernels.

How to open a CPIO file

Native extraction of CPIO archives is standard on Linux and macOS distributions via the GNU cpio or pax command-line utilities (e.g., cpio -idv < archive.cpio). For Windows environments, which lack kernel-level support for POSIX archiving tools, users must utilize third-party decompression software such as 7-Zip or PeaZip, which implement the necessary decoders to interpret the CPIO header structures and extract the contained file hierarchy.

CPIO Technical Info

Full Name
Copy In, Copy Out
Developed By
AT&T / Bell Labs
Initial Release
1977
MIME Type
application/x-cpio

What is a TAR file?

The TAR (Tape Archive) format is a file format standardized by POSIX.1-1988 and later POSIX.1-2001 (pax), originally developed for writing data to sequential I/O devices like magnetic tape drives. Unlike modern archive formats, TAR is purely a container format that concatenates multiple files into a single archive without native compression, preserving file system attributes such as user/group permissions, dates, and directory structures. It is frequently paired with compression utilities like Gzip or Bzip2 in Unix-like environments.

How to open a TAR file

Most Unix-based systems (Linux, macOS, BSD) include native support via the GNU Tar command-line utility. Windows does not natively support TAR extraction in versions prior to Windows 10 (Build 17063), requiring third-party tools. For cross-platform compatibility, 7-Zip and WinRAR are standard utilities for inspecting and extracting TAR containers.

TAR Technical Info

Full Name
Tape Archive
Developed By
AT&T Bell Laboratories
Initial Release
1979
MIME Type
application/x-tar

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Why RunConvert

The fastest way to convert any file

Purpose-built for speed, privacy, and breadth of format support.

Convert CPIO to TAR in seconds

Every CPIO to TAR conversion runs on our servers, so your device stays fast and the output quality stays intact.

Fast, cloud-powered

No queue, no waiting. Files are processed on high-performance servers and returned in seconds, even for large files.

Secure & private

Encrypted in transit and never shared with anyone. Uploads are erased the moment your job completes, and results shortly after.

Free - no account needed

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Developer API

Convert CPIO to TAR via API

Automate CPIO to TAR conversions in three steps: create a job, upload your file, then poll for the result.

# 1. Create job
curl -X POST https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "tag": "cpio-to-tar",
    "tasks": {
      "upload-file": {
        "operation": "import/upload"
      },
      "convert": {
        "operation": "convert",
        "input": "upload-file",
        "output_format": "tar"
      },
      "export-result": {
        "operation": "export/url",
        "input": "convert"
      }
    }
  }'

# 2. Upload your file (use upload_url from the response)
curl -X PUT "$UPLOAD_URL" --upload-file input.cpio

# 3. Poll for result
curl https://api.runconvert.com/v3/jobs/$JOB_ID?include=tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your RunConvert API key. Get your free API key at runconvert.com/api.