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CPIO to ZIP converter, without the upload.

Turn CPIO archives into ZIP. It is converted in your browser, so the file never leaves your device.

Drop CPIO files here

or choose from your computer paste with Ctrl V

Ready · other file types work too0 bytes uploaded, ever

Convert to

How to convert CPIO to ZIP

  1. Add your CPIO archives

    Drop CPIO files onto the box above, or click it to choose them. ToAny reads the file's contents to detect the type, so a wrong extension does not matter.

  2. ZIP is already chosen

    Press Convert. There is nothing else to set. The work happens in this tab.

  3. Download

    Save the ZIP, or download everything as one ZIP if you converted several files.

Why ToAny

  • Private by construction

    The CPIO to ZIP converter is part of this page and runs inside your browser. Your archives are never sent to ToAny or to anyone else.

  • No upload, no queue

    Nothing has to travel to a server and back, so the conversion starts the moment you press Convert, even on a slow connection.

  • Free, without an account

    No sign-up, no email address and no watermark. Add several files and download them together as a ZIP.

CPIO to ZIP: what to expect

CPIO is unfamiliar outside Unix, and several slightly different variants exist. ZIP opens on every computer and phone without extra software. CPIO is at home in linux boot images and package payloads; ZIP is the usual choice for sending several files as one.

A password-protected archive is refused, since its contents cannot be read without the password. CPIO files are read, not installed or mounted: every file inside is unpacked and repacked into the ZIP, so nothing of the system image or installer is run.

CPIO vs ZIP

CPIO

CPIO archive

cpio is a Unix archive format older than TAR in common use. It stores files and their permissions without compressing them. The initial RAM disk a Linux system boots from is a (compressed) cpio archive, and RPM packages carry their files in one.

Opens in Linux and macOS Terminal, 7-Zip

CPIO converter
ZIP

ZIP archive

ZIP bundles files and folders into one compressed file. Every operating system can open it without installing anything, which makes it the safe choice for sharing.

Opens in Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android without extra software

ZIP converter
CPIO compared with ZIP
CPIOCPIO archiveZIPZIP archive
Stands forcopy in, copy outZIP
TypeArchive (no compression)Compressed archive
CompressionNoneLossless (Deflate)
Introduced1977, by Bell Labs (PWB/UNIX)1989, by Phil Katz (PKWARE)
Opens inLinux and macOS Terminal, 7-ZipWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android without extra software
Best forLinux boot images and package payloadsSending several files as one
File extension.cpio.zip

Questions

Are my archives uploaded anywhere?

No. The CPIO to ZIP conversion runs inside your browser, on your own phone or computer. The file is not sent to ToAny or to anyone else.

Is anything lost when converting CPIO to ZIP?

No. The files inside are repackaged unchanged.

Can I convert several CPIO files at once?

Yes. Add as many as you like, convert them together and download each result or all of them as one ZIP.

How do I convert CPIO to ZIP on Windows, Mac, iPhone or Android?

The steps are the same everywhere because ToAny runs in the web browser: open this page in a current version of Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox, add the CPIO file, press Convert and save the ZIP. There is nothing to install.

Is there a file size limit?

Yes. An archive can be up to 500 MB, unpack to at most 1 GB and hold up to 50,000 files; beyond those limits the page says so. Beyond that the limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded; a computer copes with large files better than a phone.