from the blog:
overheard recently in #moose
CleanArchiver
Version: 2.4a2 ||
Release Date: 2006-11-26 ||
License: Other Open Source
CleanArchiver is a simple and nifty archiving utility.
It supports not only standard archive types such as gzip, bzip2, and zip, but also compressed Disk Image. In addition if the DropStuff application published by Allume Systems Inc. is installed on your system, CleanArchiver can create StuffIt and StuffIt X archives by calling DropStuff via AppleScript.
Moreover CleanArchiver has the ability not to include system files peculiar to Mac OS X such as .DS_Store and custom icon file (Icon\r) in your archive. So your archive is always clean on other operating systems.
Opinions:
This app is invaluable when sending folders to windows users. All too often my Windows friends freak out at all the files that are normally hidden to us Mac users. This does away with them allowing us to send them a clean, zipped folder.
As stated before the app is in English and ever so simple. Just whack it in your dock and boom. Done.
Hooray. An app that actually works on both intel and powerpc reliably. Together with 'The Unarchiver', all of your archiving needs are fulfilled without all that stuffit crap. Don't be put off by the Japanese homepage— the app is in english and so is the help file. Dev: please add xar suport (it's included with leopard, and worth considering). Also, the "clean" features of this little gem are actually useful. Take notice.