SampleTestFiles

3 MB TAR sample

A TAR file of exactly 3,145,728 bytes. It is a valid Tape archive file, generated by this site. Compare its checksum and test it with the parser used by your application. Use it wherever you need a 3 MB sample, test or dummy TAR file.

Download

sample-tar-3mb.tar

3 MB3,145,728 bytes

Download 3 MB TAR

Created in your browser in a few seconds, then checked against the SHA-256 checksum. The file is not uploaded anywhere. No sign-up.

Type
application/x-tar
SHA-256
8ae6f3fc5e596dc4a3a94c2be97ebd96d842fb0e229f058093278c9ad54cc2cf
Delivery
Created in your browser from static generator assets (how it works).

What is in this file

A ustar archive with a README and payload.bin, 3,143,168 pseudo-random bytes, followed by the two zero blocks that end every tar archive.

Entries2 (README.txt, payload.bin)
FormatPOSIX ustar
CompressionNone
Block size512 bytes

First bytes of the file

The first 64 bytes of sample-tar-3mb.tar as a hex dump: offset, bytes, then the same bytes as text. The TAR signature is 75 73 74 61 72 at offset 257.

00000000  52 45 41 44 4d 45 2e 74  78 74 00 00 00 00 00 00 |README.txt......|
00000010  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|
00000020  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|
00000030  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00  00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 |................|

Preview

TAR files cannot be shown in a browser. Download the file and open it in an application that reads TAR, such as tar on Linux, macOS and Windows.

Where 3 MB matters

A 3,145,728-byte file, 3 MB in the binary units that operating systems and upload limits use. It is useful wherever a form, an API gateway, a storage quota or a mail server is configured with a limit of about this size.

All 3 MB sample files

Use this file for

  • Finding the first upload limit in a new stack
  • Testing container and package pipelines
  • Testing archive extraction on servers

Testing notes for TAR

  • Like ZIP, tar entries can contain absolute paths or "../", and can be symbolic links. Validate before extracting.
  • There is no index, so listing the contents means reading the whole archive.

TAR format reference

Technical details

File namesample-tar-3mb.tar
FormatTAR (Tape archive)
Extension.tar
MIME typeapplication/x-tar
Size3,145,728 bytes (3 MB)
KindBinary
Signature75 73 74 61 72 at offset 257
SHA-2568ae6f3fc5e596dc4a3a94c2be97ebd96d842fb0e229f058093278c9ad54cc2cf
Created2026-10-23
ValidationSee the listed size and SHA-256. Small downloads are checked in the browser; verify streamed downloads manually. A hash match does not prove parser compatibility.
PreviewNot available for this file; details only
SourceGenerated in your browser by this site's generator; not copied from elsewhere
LicenceFree to use, modify and redistribute (terms)
CategoryArchives

Check the stated structure and checksum against your application requirements. As with any download, scan the file with your own security tools before opening it. How files are made and checked

Verify your copy

This file is created in your browser, so it has no direct URL for curl or wget. The generator is designed to produce reproducible bytes. After saving, compare the checksum with the SHA-256 value above.

sha256sum sample-tar-3mb.tar     # Linux
shasum -a 256 sample-tar-3mb.tar # macOS

On Windows, run Get-FileHash sample-tar-3mb.tar -Algorithm SHA256 in PowerShell. For scripts and pipelines, save the file once and keep your own copy.

Related files

Other TAR sizes

Other 3 MB files

Use cases

Guides

Questions about this file

Is this file exactly 3 MB?
Yes. It is 3,145,728 bytes, which is 3 MB in the binary units that operating systems and server limits use (1 KB = 1,024 bytes).
What is inside the 3 MB TAR file?
A ustar archive with a README and payload.bin, 3,143,168 pseudo-random bytes, followed by the two zero blocks that end every tar archive.
Why is there no 1 KB TAR sample?
A tar archive is built from 512-byte blocks and ends with two empty blocks, so the smallest archive containing a README and a payload is larger than 1 KB.