Existing users, log in.  New users, create a free account.  Lost password?

Mac OS X  |  System / Utilities  |  Other System / Utilities  |  Pacifist

Pacifist

Pacifist - 2.5.1

Extract individual files out of installer packages.

All Time: (4.9)
Version 2.5.1: (4.5)
Selected Version: 2.5.1
Release Date: 2007-10-28
License: Shareware
Downloads (version 2.5.1): 33,347
Downloads (all versions): 56,972
Price: $20.00

Information Related to Version:

Broken Link? Newer Version? Tell us!

Product Description:

Shareware application that opens Mac OS X .pkg package files, .dmg disk image files, and .zip, .tar, .tar.gz, .tar.bz2, and .xar archive files and allows you to extract individual files and folders out of them. This is useful, for instance, if an application which is installed by the operating system becomes damaged and needs to be reinstalled without the hassle of reinstalling all of Mac OS X (for example, if you had accidentally deleted Preview and wanted to reinstall it, but not the whole operating system). Pacifist is also able to verify existing installations and find missing or altered files*, and also has the ability to examine the kernel extensions installed in /System/Library/Extensions to determine which ones were installed by Apple and which may have been installed by third-party installers.

Pacifist 2.0 is a free upgrade for registered users of Pacifist 1.x.

*This product includes software developed by the University of California, Berkeley and its contributors.

What's new in this version:

  • Fixed a few bugs on Mac OS X 10.3.9
  • Fixed a crash when opening an invalid zip file
  • Fixed a bug that could cause a single malformed .dmg file to cause loading the Apple install discs to abort
  • Support for Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and its new package format
  • Support for .xar archives
  • Support for .zip archives with extensive format support - should correctly extract Mac and UNIX metadata from Apples Zip format as well as MacZip, SmartZip, ZipIt, and InfoZip archives. In order to achieve support for all these formats as well as the Open URL feature, Pacifist has a new Zip parser written completely from scratch rather than using existing functionality such as the zip command-line tool.
  • A new Open URL feature makes it possible to remotely load archives over the network. For .zip, .xar, .dmg, and Leopard .pkg packages, this feature only downloads the portion of the file which is necessary to read it, causing files to open much more quickly than it would take to download the whole archive (.zip files, in particular, are very fast - try it!).
  • All files in a package can now be viewed right in Pacifist using of a new View Files feature. The View Files feature includes support for various text and image file types, as well as support for RTF, RTFD, HTML, MS Word, and property list files. Pacifist 2.5 also adds a new hexadecimal file viewer for viewing binary files and unknown file types.
  • Loading a disk image containing a package will now cause the package to be loaded and its contents to be displayed.
  • Underscore files (._example) are no longer displayed as separate files, but are now considered an attribute of the original file. If a file has an underscore file or a resource fork associated with it, a badge is added to its icon to indicate this.
  • Package resources can now be extracted, just like package contents.
  • The Verify feature now ignores the permissions of symbolic links.
  • The Verify feature now has a Zero-Length Files check to detect files that may have been emptied by the recent prebinding bug in OS X
  • The search feature now employs a proper search field, as well as Command-G and Command-Shift-G to iterate through the search results.
  • Files that are being viewed via the View Files feature can now be searched.
  • Pacifist now includes an option to create BOM files.
  • Removed some outdated options from the preferences.
  • Unfortunately, the Czech localization has been removed from this version. Hopefully, it will be able to be re-added at some point in the future.
  • Numerous bug fixes.

Operating System Requirements:

This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:

  • Mac OS X 10.5 Intel
  • Mac OS X 10.5 PPC
  • Mac OS X 10.4 Intel
  • Mac OS X 10.4 PPC
  • Mac OS X 10.3.9
  • Mac OS X 10.3

Additional Requirements:

  • Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher

Screenshots:

Download Links:

Download Links:

MacFixIt Late-Breakers:

Pacifist updated for Leopard

More...

Your Installed Versions:


 

Feedback Summary:

Version 2.5.1:
Overall Rating: (4.5) Features: (4.5) Support: (4.0)
Ease of Use: (5.0) Quality / Stability: (4.5) Price: (4.0)
Add Your Feedback

Key to Types of Feedback:

ReviewsReviews   TroubleshootingTroubleshooting   Usage TipsUsage Tips   Developer NotesDeveloper Notes   CommentaryCommentary   Featured ReviewsFeatured Reviews

Pacifist CommentarySTILL not 64-bit - Version: 2.6.1, 8/26/2009 09:05PM PST

(1 of 12 users found this comment useful)

libertyforall1776
STILL not 64-bit, I would like to see apps that claim they are 10.6 ready, to actually migrate to a 64-bit application.
Post a commentAlert Admin

Most Recent Replies: View All 3 Replies

Pacifist Commentary"Ignorance is bliss!" restated - Version: 2.6, 8/15/2009 01:30AM PST

(0 of 1 users found this comment useful)

artie505
Format changes plus reinsertion of deleted reference which should have appeared between ** in the final paragraph.

J Jonah Jamieson has reinforced, yet again, the old adage that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing.

1. OS X install discs now uses mpkg, metapackage, files which do *not* offer the "Show Package Contents" option when control/right-clicked, so JJJ's "Apple's OS already offers the ability inherently" is a misstatement of fact; he has obviously never right clicked on a Tiger or Leopard install disc icon.

2. In those instances in which you can show a package's contents and install them with drag and drop there is no way to correctly set permissions, because without using Installer or Pacifist you will not wind up with a bom (bill of materials) in /Library/Receipts, and, therefore, "Repair Permissions" will have no basis for comparison. (Granted that repairing permissions is a topic that generates much heat (including from Charles Srstka) but when entire, sprawling packages are installed with incorrect permissions the chances of something requiring permission repair going wrong are vastly increased.)

3. As has been previously said, many packages have a million and one components and do not lend themselves to drag and drop installation under any circumstances.

Pacifist is a miraculously useful app, and Charles Srstka is to be commended for offering it to the Mac community at the nominal price he is charging.

Pacifist has helped me out of trouble any number of times, and, as a long-time MacFixIt Forums regular responder (who has now moved to <code>FINETUNEDMAC.COM</code> (FineTunedMac.com) along with the entire MFIF Administrator, Moderator, and regular responder crew), I can attest to it its acceptance in the general Mac community as one of the most useful tools one can have in one's arsenal.
Post a commentAlert Admin

Pacifist ReviewIgnorance is bliss! - Version: 2.6, 8/15/2009 01:20AM PST

(0 of 1 users found this comment useful)

artie505
J Jonah Jamieson has reinforced, yet again, the old adage that a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. 1. OS X install discs now uses mpkg, metapackage, files which do *not* offer the "Show Package Contents" option when control/right-clicked, so JJJ's "Apple's OS already offers the ability inherently" is a misstatement. (He has obviously never control/right clicked on a Tiger or Leopard install disc icon.) 2. In those instances in which you can show a package's contents and install them with drag and drop there is no way to correctly set permissions, because without using Installer or Pacifist you will not wind up with a bom (bill of materials) in /Library/Receipts, and, therefore, "Repair Permissions" will have no basis for comparison. (Granted that repairing permissions is a topic that generates much heat (including from Charles Srstka) but when entire, sprawling packages are installed with incorrect permissions the chances of something requiring permission repair going wrong are vastly increased.) 3. As has been previously said, many packages have a million and one components and do not lend themselves to drag and drop installation under any circumstances. Pacifist is a miraculously useful app, and Charles Srstka is to be commended for offering it to the Mac community at the nominal price he is charging. Pacifist has helped me out of trouble any number of times, and, as a long-time MacFixIt Forums regular responder (who has now moved to ** along with the entire MFIF Administrator, Moderator, and regular responder crew) I can attest to it its acceptance in the general Mac community as one of the most useful tools one can have in one's arsenal.
Post a commentAlert Admin