XXE to TAR Converter
Processing entirely on your device — large files may take a moment.
XXE is xxencode's answer to uuencode — the same 4-for-3 packing but with an alphabet that survives IBM mainframe EBCDIC gateways. TAR preserves the exact file tree and permissions that Linux tooling expects.
iLoveConverter processes everything locally on your computer, which makes it private and fast: no upload wait, no server storage, no limits. Add as many files as you like — batch conversion is built in.
How to convert XXE to TAR
- 1
Select your files
Drag & drop your XXE files onto the area above, or click to browse. You can add multiple files at once for batch conversion.
- 2
Convert instantly
Click "Convert to TAR". The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly — no upload, no queue, no waiting.
- 3
Download results
Download each converted TAR file individually, or grab everything at once as a ZIP archive.
About the XXE format
XXE is xxencode's output: the same 4-for-3 packing as uuencode, but with an alphabet (+- and alphanumerics) chosen to survive EBCDIC systems — the IBM mainframe text encoding that mangled uuencoded files crossing gateways.
The decoder is identical arithmetic with a different lookup table; payloads decode back to the original binary (often a tar) ready for repackaging.
+ Strengths
- ✓EBCDIC-safe alphabet
- ✓Same simple packing as UUE
- ✓Decodes with a table swap
! Limitations
- −Extremely rare today
- −EBCDIC gateways themselves are gone
- −Dialects differ between implementations
About the TAR format
TAR (tape archive) is Unix's fifty-year-old answer to bundling: it concatenates files with headers into a single stream, preserving POSIX permissions, ownership and symlinks — but compressing nothing. It is the container half of the classic .tar.gz pairing and the native format of Linux source trees and backups.
Being pure bundling, TAR pairs with a compressor: gzip (the classic), bzip2, zstd. Alone, a TAR is the same size as its contents. Windows 10+ ships bsdtar, so even Windows can unpack it now — permissions aside, where NTFS has no room to be faithful.
+ Strengths
- ✓Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks
- ✓Streamable: works over pipes and tapes
- ✓The standard of Linux distribution and backup
! Limitations
- −No compression by itself
- −No built-in encryption
- −Permissions meaningless on Windows filesystems
Why convert XXE to TAR?
Converting makes sense where the strengths of TAR meet what XXE cannot give you. Preserves Unix permissions and symlinks Meanwhile Extremely rare today One pass through the converter above puts your file on the right side of that trade-off.
Frequently asked questions
Is this XXE to TAR converter really free?
Yes — completely free, with no sign-up, no watermark and no daily conversion limits. The site is supported by advertising.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. The conversion runs entirely inside your browser using WebAssembly, so your files never leave your device — that is what makes it instant and private.
Does it work on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android?
Yes. Anything with a modern browser works: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. No software installation is required.
Is there a file size limit for XXE to TAR?
The only limit is your device's memory, since nothing is uploaded. Files up to a few hundred megabytes work fine on a modern desktop browser; very large files simply take a little longer.
What about folders and directory structure?
The full directory tree is preserved: folders stay folders, and deep paths arrive exactly as they were packed in the XXE file.
Are the files inside my XXE archive modified?
No. Contents are unpacked in memory and repacked into TAR byte-for-byte — the conversion changes the container, never the files inside it.