The Next-Generation Archive Format is Here
Stop settling for slow, insecure, and outdated archive formats. G3FC is the open-source file container built for today's data challenges, delivering elite speed, security, and resilience for any workflow.
Download NowWhy G3FC is the Superior Choice
Engineered from the ground up to outperform legacy formats in every key area.
Extreme Speed & Efficiency
Powered by Zstandard (Zstd), G3FC crushes legacy formats with lightning-fast compression and decompression speeds, saving you valuable time and resources.
Bulletproof Security
Your data deserves the best protection. G3FC uses military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption to ensure your archives are confidential and tamper-proof.
Resilient by Design
Ideal for long-term cold storage. Forward Error Correction (FEC) guards against bit rot, while fast indexing ensures immediate access without reading the whole file.
Truly Cross-Platform
G3FC is fully open source and runs anywhere. Use our native command-line executables on Mac, Windows, and Linux. You're never locked into a single platform.
G3FC vs. Legacy Formats
See how G3FC stacks up against the archives you're used to.
| Feature | G3FC | ZIP | TAR (tar.gz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compression | Modern (Zstd) | Legacy (Deflate) | Varies (Gzip) |
| Security | AES-256-GCM | AES-256 (often weaker legacy) | None (requires external tools) |
| Data Resilience (FEC) | Built-in | None | None |
| Archive Splitting | Built-in | Basic (Zipx) | Manual (via `split` command) |
| Fast Indexing | Yes (Footer) | Yes (Central Directory) | No (Sequential Read) |
| Granular Compression | Yes (per file or whole archive) | Yes (per file) | No (compresses whole archive) |
G3FC Technical Specification
The G3FC format is built on an open, detailed specification to ensure cross-platform compatibility and encourage community implementation. Download the full RFC-style document in your preferred format.
Powerful Command-Line Interface
Control every aspect of G3FC with a simple, consistent, and scriptable CLI available for all implementations.
# Create a secure, compressed archive with 10% FEC
$ g3fc create -o my_project.g3fc -p "s3cure-pass!" -fl 10 ./source_code
# List the contents of the archive with details
$ g3fc list my_project.g3fc -p "s3cure-pass!" --details
# Extract the entire archive to a directory
$ g3fc extract my_project.g3fc -o ./restored_project -p "s3cure-pass!"
Performance Benchmarks
G3FC with Zstd isn't just more feature-rich; it's faster and more efficient.
Compression Ratio (Smaller is Better)
CPU Usage (Lower is Better)
Get Started with G3FC
G3FC is open source and ready to use. Explore the code or download the pre-compiled command-line tools.
C# Implementation
Fully-featured .NET command-line tool for integration into your C# applications.
Explore C# Code →Go Implementation
High-performance GoLang command-line tool for speed and efficiency.
Explore Go Code →Python Implementation
Flexible Python command-line tool perfect for scripting and data workflows.
Explore Python Code →Rust Implementation
Experience ultimate performance and memory safety with our Rust command-line tool.
Explore Rust Code →Forged from Necessity: The G3FC Origin Story
G3FC wasn't born in a vacuum. It was engineered to solve a complex, real-world challenge.
It all started when G3Pix took on the mission of developing a sophisticated health data system. We needed a single, robust file format that could securely store everything about a patient: personal information, medical images, text reports, audio notes, and even videos.
The requirements were demanding. The archive had to be highly compact, resilient to data corruption, and securely encryptable. Crucially, it had to operate flawlessly across Mac, Windows, and Linux. Another vital need was a way to find files instantly without scanning multi-gigabyte archives. This led to the design of a dedicated footer for rapid indexing, a feature that sets it apart from older formats.
When no existing format met all these needs, we built one. That's how G3FC was born—a format engineered for resilience, security, and efficiency from day one.
How It Works: A Visual Guide
G3FC's intelligent structure enables both resilience and high-speed access.
Archive Structure
+--------------------------+
| Main Header (Metadata) |
+--------------------------+
| File Index (Catalog) |
| (Compressed/Encrypted) |
+--------------------------+
| File Data Block |
| (The actual content) |
+--------------------------+
| FEC Blocks (Optional) |
| (For data recovery) |
+--------------------------+
| Footer (40-byte Pointer) |
+--------------------------+
The key is the Footer at the very end. It allows tools to instantly locate the File Index without reading through gigabytes of data, making operations like `list` incredibly fast.
Create Operation Flow
[ Start ]
|
V
( Read Files )
|
V
( Build Index & Data Block )
|
V
( Compress & Encrypt? )
|
V
( Generate FEC? )
|
V
( Write Header & Footer )
|
V
[ End ]
The creation process is a pipeline that processes files, builds a metadata index, applies optional security and resilience layers, and wraps it all in the G3FC structure.