What is MIME type "application/x-dar"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

The MIME type application/x-dar is used for files created by the Dar archive tool. It marks backup files meant for storage and retrieval in Unix-like systems.

Files with this MIME type normally use the file extension DAR. They group many items into one archive, much like other common archivers.

Main purposes:

Archiving: Combine multiple files and directories into a single archive.
Compression: Reduce the overall size of the stored data.
Splitting: Break large backups into smaller, more manageable pieces.
Encryption: Secure the backup content during storage or transmission.

The MIME type helps systems and applications to automatically recognize and manage these archives. Specialized software, often available in Linux distributions, opens and extracts Dar archive files correctly. More details can be found on the Wikipedia page about Dar.

Associated file extensions

.dar

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: application/x-dar

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="application/x-dar">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-dar');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.dar

FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.