Create TB2 Archive
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Need help?How to Create a TB2 Archive
- Upload your files — Click "+ Add Files" or drag and drop any files you want to archive.
- Archive and download — Click "Archive" and download your TB2 file.
Why Create TB2 Archives?
TB2 is a tar archive compressed with bzip2 — functionally identical to .tar.bz2 but with a shorter file extension. It combines the tar archiving format (which bundles multiple files into one, preserving directory structure and permissions) with bzip2 compression (which offers better compression ratios than gzip at the cost of slower speed).
TB2 archives are commonly used in Unix/Linux environments for distributing source code, backing up directory trees, and transferring file collections. The bzip2 compression typically achieves 10–15% better compression than gzip (.tar.gz/.tgz), making TB2 ideal when file size matters more than compression speed.
TB2 vs Other Archive Formats
| Format | Compression | Speed | Ratio | Extension Aliases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TB2 / TAR.BZ2 | bzip2 | Slow | Best (traditional) | .tb2, .tar.bz2, .tbz2 |
| TGZ / TAR.GZ | gzip | Fast | Good | .tgz, .tar.gz |
| TAR.XZ | xz (LZMA2) | Slowest | Best overall | .tar.xz, .txz |
| ZIP | DEFLATE | Fast | Good | .zip |
| 7Z | LZMA/LZMA2 | Slow | Excellent | .7z |
Common Use Cases
| Use Case | Why TB2 |
|---|---|
| Linux source code distribution | Standard format, better compression than .tar.gz |
| Server backups | Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks |
| File transfer over slow connections | Smaller files than gzip alternatives |
| Software package distribution | Common in BSD and older Linux distributions |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TB2?
TB2 is a tar archive compressed with bzip2 — the same as .tar.bz2 with a shorter extension. It bundles multiple files into one archive while applying bzip2 compression for smaller file sizes.
What's the difference between TB2 and TAR.BZ2?
They're identical. TB2 is just a shorter file extension alias for TAR.BZ2. Both use the same tar + bzip2 combination.
How do I extract TB2 files?
On Linux/macOS: tar -xjf file.tb2. On Windows: use 7-Zip, WinRAR, or PeaZip. Most modern archive tools recognize the TB2 extension.
Should I use TB2 or ZIP?
ZIP is more universally compatible (Windows, macOS, web). TB2 offers better compression and preserves Unix file permissions — use it for Linux/Unix environments or when file size is critical.
How does TB2 compare to TAR.GZ?
TB2 (bzip2) typically produces 10–15% smaller files than TAR.GZ (gzip), but compression is slower. For quick archiving where speed matters, use TAR.GZ. For smallest files, use TB2.