https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/intrepid-changes/2008-July/003942.html
* New upstream version:
New features and user visible changes: - Added support for reading and extracting alz archives - Added support for rzip compressed files - Added support for creating self-extracting zip archives. - Added ability to create multi-volume archives. - Added support for header encryption. Implemented header encryption for 7zip and rar archives. - Use the 7z command to read/write zip, cbr, cbz archives, and to read cabinet, arj, rar and iso archives. - Try to get the mime type from magic numbers if all other methods fail. - Now the progress dialog is exact when adding, extracting or deleting files for tar, zip, rar and 7zip archives (lp: #18250) - Do not add the backup files, that is files ending with ~, to the archive. - Operations are now more efficient for archives with a long file list. Bugfixes: - Fixed bug #343201 – Use p7zip for RAR archives? (lp: #44958) - Fixed bug #529395 – file-roller will not open 256 AES zip files - Fixed bug #515194 – PK 4.5 Zip files - Fixed bug #519046 – add x-cbr and x-cbz support (lp: #196171) - Fixed bug #336790 – file-roller can't open winzip-10 encrypted files - Fixed bug #539629 – Create archive for Trash/Computer - Fixed bug #506698 – 7z Filename (header) Encryption request - Fixed bug #542541 – icon lookup code is broken - Fixed bug #504584 – Incorrect comportment when extracting multi part rar files.
One of the most interesting updates in GNOME 2.24 will be the improvements in file-roller: Since GNOME 2.22 it supports drag and drop to the desktop. And with the current alpha it uses 7-zip for handling zip and rar archives- which will bring a massive compatibility boost.
As my only question remains: With file-roller now relying on p7zip to open zip files, shouldn't p7zip be promoted to main then?
Can someone try to open a zip file without p7zip installed (eg. from the live desktop): Can the file still be opened?