---
name: r.pack
description: Exports a raster map as GRASS specific archive file
keywords: [ raster, export, copying ]
---

# r.pack

Exports a raster map as GRASS specific archive file

=== "Command line"

    **r.pack**
    [**-c**]
    **input**=*name*
    [**output**=*name*]
    [**--overwrite**]
    [**--verbose**]
    [**--quiet**]
    [**--qq**]
    [**--ui**]

    Example:

    ```sh
    r.pack input=name
    ```

=== "Python (grass.tools)"

    *grass.tools.Tools.r_pack*(**input**,
        **output**=*None*,
        **flags**=*None*,
        **overwrite**=*None*,
        **verbose**=*None*,
        **quiet**=*None*,
        **superquiet**=*None*)

    Example:

    ```python
    tools = Tools()
    tools.r_pack(input="name")
    ```

    This grass.tools API is experimental in version 8.5 and expected to be stable in version 8.6.

=== "Python (grass.script)"

    *grass.script.run_command*("***r.pack***",
        **input**,
        **output**=*None*,
        **flags**=*None*,
        **overwrite**=*None*,
        **verbose**=*None*,
        **quiet**=*None*,
        **superquiet**=*None*)

    Example:

    ```python
    gs.run_command("r.pack", input="name")
    ```

## Parameters

=== "Command line"

    **input**=*name* **[required]**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name of raster map to pack up  
    **output**=*name*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name for output file (default is &lt;input&gt;.pack)  
    **-c**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Switch the compression off  
    **--overwrite**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allow output files to overwrite existing files  
    **--help**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Print usage summary  
    **--verbose**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Verbose module output  
    **--quiet**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quiet module output  
    **--qq**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Very quiet module output  
    **--ui**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Force launching GUI dialog

=== "Python (grass.tools)"

    **input** : str | np.ndarray, *required*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name of raster map to pack up  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used as: input, raster, *name*  
    **output** : str, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name for output file (default is &lt;input&gt;.pack)  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used as: output, file, *name*  
    **flags** : str, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allowed values: *c*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**c**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Switch the compression off  
    **overwrite** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allow output files to overwrite existing files  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **verbose** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Verbose module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **quiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **superquiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Very quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  

    Returns:

    **result** : grass.tools.support.ToolResult | None  
    If the tool produces text as standard output, a *ToolResult* object will be returned. Otherwise, `None` will be returned.

    Raises:

    *grass.tools.ToolError*: When the tool ended with an error.

=== "Python (grass.script)"

    **input** : str, *required*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name of raster map to pack up  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used as: input, raster, *name*  
    **output** : str, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Name for output file (default is &lt;input&gt;.pack)  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Used as: output, file, *name*  
    **flags** : str, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allowed values: *c*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**c**  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Switch the compression off  
    **overwrite** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Allow output files to overwrite existing files  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **verbose** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Verbose module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **quiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*  
    **superquiet** : bool, *optional*  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Very quiet module output  
    &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Default: *None*

## DESCRIPTION

*r.pack* collects raster map elements and support files and compressed
them using *gzip* algorithm for copying. The resulting packed file can
be afterwards unpacked within a GRASS session by
*[r.unpack](r.unpack.md)*. Since the selected raster map is not exported
but natively stored, the current region is not respected. Hence *r.pack*
stores the entire raster map.

## NOTES

By default, the name of the pack file is determined from the **input**
parameter. Optionally a different name can be given by **output**
parameter. Currently only 2D raster maps are supported.

## EXAMPLE

Pack up the entire raster map *aspect* into *aspect.pack* file:

```sh
r.pack input=aspect
```

The packed raster map file *aspect.pack* can afterwards be unpacked by

```sh
r.unpack input=aspect.pack
```

## SEE ALSO

*[r.unpack](r.unpack.md), [r.in.gdal](r.in.gdal.md),
[g.copy](g.copy.md), [r.proj](r.proj.md), [v.unpack](v.unpack.md)*

## AUTHORS

Original Bash script written by Hamish Bowman, Otago University, New
Zealand  
Converted to Python and updated for GRASS 7 by Martin Landa, Czech
Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic

## SOURCE CODE

Available at: [r.pack source code](https://github.com/OSGeo/grass/tree/main/scripts/r.pack)
([history](https://github.com/OSGeo/grass/commits/main/scripts/r.pack))  
Accessed: Monday May 11 17:55:44 2026
