[Release / Open Source] 42pak - Pak file manager - VPK format, AES-256-GCM encryption, compression, BLAKE3 hashing, and tamper detection.

[P42 Studio 17]

42pak - Custom Pak Tool

Convert EIX/EPK to VPK, Manage existing Archives, AES-256 Encryption & much more.


 

Hello everyone,

I've been following metin2.dev for some time and decided to share a tool I've developed as part of my personal Metin2 project. I'm working on a full rewrite of the server and client sources from the ground up in my free time, and one persistent issue has been the continued use of EIX and EPK for packs in many private servers. These formats are insecure, easy to unpack, and the existing tools like EterNexus or PakMaker Lite are outdated with poor interfaces.

To address this in my own setup, I created P42Pak; an open-source application for generating and managing .VPK files as a replacement. It incorporates enhanced security features such as AES-256-GCM encryption, custom key derivation, integrity hashing (similar to BLAKE3), and global HMAC for detecting tampering. The design avoids direct compatibility with other custom systems to prevent reverse-engineering.

The UI is built with WebView2 for a clean, modern look, supporting drag-and-drop, compression (LZ4/Zstd), one-way migration from EIX/EPK, pack validation, batch operations, and more. It also includes code snippets for integrating .VPK loading into client and server sources (referencing tmp4 40250 files), simple patches that you can apply and recompile.

 

Features:

• Create VPK archives - Pack directories into single .vpk files with optional encryption and compression
• Manage existing archives - Browse, search, extract, and validate VPK archives
• Convert EIX/EPK → VPK - One-click migration from legacy EterPack format
• AES-256-GCM encryption - Per-file authenticated encryption with unique nonces
• LZ4 / Zstandard / Brotli compression - Choose the algorithm that fits your needs
• BLAKE3 content hashing - Cryptographic integrity verification for every file
• HMAC-SHA256 - Archive-level tamper detection
• Filename mangling - Optional obfuscation of file paths within archives
• Metin2 C++ integration - Drop-in client and server loader code included

 

 

The repo is available on GitHub for contribution reasons. It contains the full source code, Windows binaries (compatible with Linux/macOS via .NET), and a README with installation, usage, and integration details.

Feedback, bug reports, or suggestions are welcome.Feel free to contribute!  

The Github Repo:

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Edited March 15 by P42 Studio
added screenshots from app

[P42 Studio 17]

Just rolled out v2.0.0 with a bunch of handy additions based on my own usage.

• CLI Mode: For scriptable workflows - build, extract, info, validate, and convert via command line (e.g., FortyTwoPak build <dir> <output.vpk> --passphrase secret --compression 6).
• Extract Single Files: Hover on a file row in Manage view for an "Extract" button to pull out just that one.
• Toast Notifications: Cleaner success/error messages in the corner (auto-fade after 4s) instead of popups for most things.
• Drag & Drop: Drop .vpk files to open them, or folders to set as source in Create view - with a nice overlay hint.
• Compression Stats: See per-file ratios, plus overall archive stats (files, sizes, ratios) right above the list.
• Keyboard Shortcuts: Quick actions like Ctrl+O to open, Ctrl+B to build - hints on buttons and in Help.
• Recent Files: Tracks your last 10 opened .vpks for easy access in Manage view.
• UI Tweaks: Session-remembered passphrases, expanded Help with CLI/shortcut docs.
  
  
  
  Will continue to flesh it out further and more functions based on feedback and personal preference.