Solved 7-Zip Questions ???

[BuckSkin]

I tried to perform a task with my 2016 7-Zip Version 16.02, following instructions I found in a search.

I thought, "no problem, I have 7-Zip installed."

However, when I attempted the task, I was missing a feature or two and was unable to proceed.

So, I decided maybe those abilities were in a later version and searched up the 7-Zip site to procure the latest version, hence my questions.

First up on the Download page is "Download 7-Zip 19.00 (2019-02-21) for Windows" with several variables; I got the plain old 64-bit Windows package.

Next up is "Download 7-Zip 21.02 alpha (2021-05-06)" , some twenty-six months more recent; I read every word on every page of the site and could not determine what "alpha" designated and should I maybe have gotten it.

Can someone please enlighten me as to the difference between the first group and the "alpha" group ?

Thanks for reading and all help is appreciated.

 

[Alejandro85]

In the programming world we typically use words like "nightly", "alpha", "beta" or "stable" to diferentiate various state of developments. The most recent fixes and new features go into nightly or alpha versions, then more advanced ones go into betas, and the most thoughly tested things go into stable releases.

Alphas often contain the newest code, which also is the least tested (often also called experimental). This means you get more features, but with a higher chance of bugs and random failures. They're mostly intended for early testing and for getting user feedback. not serious usage.

Betas are a middle ground. a bit more mature but still not deeply tested. "Try before buy" is the closest equivalent I can think of. Expect still to be finished things, a few unexpected problems and the like, not as serious as alpha but still might be disruptive.

Stable versions are meant to be production-ready, fully tested and as bug-free as possible. Those are the normal releases one expects and normally used, and should be what you should look for in most circumstances.

Of course, this is just a naming convention. The ultimate means and end quality of each one is specific of each project. But normally, you should use stable versions unless you need something more specific.

 

[BuckSkin]

In the programming world we typically use words like "nightly", "alpha", "beta" or "stable" to diferentiate various state of developments..

Thank you for such a clear and easy to understand explanation.

 

[RolandJS]

For some reason, I had to install both 32bit and 64 bit 7zip to finesse the operations, I have no idea why.

 

[SIW2]

The developer of 7-zip leaves the alpha label on for a very long time. I always use the most recent version on the main page - which is currently 21.02

 

[BuckSkin]

For some reason, I had to install both 32bit and 64 bit 7zip to finesse the operations, I have no idea why.

Thanks for that; I think I will get a 32-bit copy to have on hand just in case.

The developer of 7-zip leaves the alpha label on for a very long time. I always use the most recent version on the main page - which is currently 21.02

The "stable" version I got is 19.00

Am I thinking correctly in that, should an "alpha" version create problems or have a bug, the only harm would be to the finished product and the fix would be as simple as uninstalling the offending version and trying a different version ?

 

[SIW2]

Yes.

 

[BuckSkin]

Yes.

Thanks

 

[file3456]

Just note that you'll want to use the latest version of 7-Zip. There are CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) and the version you were using had a CVE. CVE -
Search Results

The other thing is that back in around 2017, Wikileaks published information on a CIA attack called Vault7 or something that I think took advantage of 7-Z portable. It's not really the application as much as what are known as dynamically loaded DLLs. Now for the life of me I can't remember where I read about security risks involving dynamically loaded DLLs. It may have been the Veracrypt user manual. I just don't remember. I read about so many things everyday that I'm overwhelmed with information.

Also, if I'm not mistaken, Vault7 attacked Notepad++ back then as well. Notepad++ has since been patched.

It just goes to show you all code can be used for shenanigans. That's why sandboxing is a good idea. The Qubes OS does this, but there may be a learning curve. You also need the most compatible hardware. The Qubes OS website has a table on hardware.


Since you were willing to read about 7Z, maybe you're willing to read about Qubes OS. Qubes OS - Wikipedia
Just food for thought.