Backpack is a tool for viewing and editing Quake PACK Files.
Backpack allows the user to easily view, edit, create and unpack PACK files for Quake. It runs on Linux and potentially other unix-like operating systems. Backpack contains a command-line tool as well as a full-feature graphical user interface.
Features:
- Cut, copy, paste and delete files and folders within Backpack
- Merge folders including subfolders
- Edit multiple files at once and copy entries between them
- Sort files by name, size and type
- Desktop integration: Double-click PACK files to open them
- Comprehensive drag-and-drop support
- Files and folders including subfolders
- From file manager to Backpack
- From Backpack to file manager
- From one Backpack window to another
- Sizes of directories are displayed
- Double-clicking of a file within Backpack opens that file in the desktop-configured application, if available
Requirements:
- Linux (other unix-like systems may work)
- C++17 compiler (tested with GCC 11)
- CMake 3.20
- FLTK 1.3 (tested with 1.3.8)
- Google Test 1.11
- Xlib
- Xorg session (for unpacking files into a file manager or onto the desktop)
Compiling:
mkdir build
cd build/
cmake -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release ..
make -jN # N = number of threads to use
Installing:
sudo make install
Updating the icon cache may be necessary for the icon to appear in menus. How this is done depends on the desktop environment.
Files with the .pak extension can be set to be opened with Backpack through the desktop environment. By installing Backpack, a starter is likely placed in an application menu. Otherwise it can be started from the command line:
backpack-gui [FILE]
The command-line tool an be used like this:
backpack-cli
Instructions for using the command-line tool are provided when using it like this without any arguments.
See COPYING.txt
(c)2025 Steffen Neumann
Backpack is based in part on the work of the FLTK project (http://www.fltk.org).