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paq creates BLAKE3 hashes for files or directory trees and, in its documented command-line workflow, writes the result as JSON in a .paq file. Its directory hash is deterministic under paq’s rules, but it is a content-oriented fingerprint—not a complete record of filesystem state. Permissions, ownership, timestamps and several other metadata properties are excluded.
What paq hashes—and what it produces
paq is a command-line utility and Rust crate for recursively hashing a file or directory with BLAKE3. The paq 1.4.1 documentation describes the task as “Hash file or directory recursively.” Its documented CLI accepts a source file or directory and writes a JSON-formatted .paq file. Read the paq 1.4.1 documentation.
The resulting value is useful as a fingerprint for checking integrity, detecting content changes, comparing directory states, or incorporating a content check into an automated workflow. Interpret it according to what paq includes: matching hashes do not establish that every filesystem property is identical.
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How paq makes a directory hash deterministic
The documented paq 1.4.1 directory workflow has three stages:
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- Discover and hash: paq recursively finds source paths and hashes content in a parallel pipeline.
- Sort: it sorts the resulting hashes so the order of discovery does not determine the result.
- Hash the ordered list: it hashes that sorted list to produce the final directory value.
Sorting is the key to a repeatable result when paths are discovered or processed in different orders. This describes determinism under paq’s documented inputs and rules; it does not mean the hash captures metadata that the tool excludes.
What the hash does not represent
In the 1.4.1 documentation, paq’s hash input is filesystem content, with several common filesystem properties explicitly excluded. A paq hash is therefore not a full backup manifest or a complete filesystem-state comparison.
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- File modes and permissions
- Ownership
- Modification and access times
- Access-control lists (ACLs)
- Extended attributes
- Hard-link relationships
If any of those properties matter to your comparison or recovery plan, use a tool that records them or capture them separately. A matching paq hash alone cannot verify that they match.
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How symbolic links and hidden paths are handled
Symbolic links
For the documented 1.4.1 behavior, paq hashes a symbolic link’s target path rather than the contents at that target. The hash should not be treated as proof that the linked-to file or directory has unchanged contents.
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Hidden files and directories
The 1.4.1 documentation allows hidden files or directories to be ignored. That choice affects the input set: enabling or disabling hidden-path exclusion can change the resulting hash. When comparing results, use the same hidden-path setting on both runs.
BLAKE3 is fast, but not for password storage
BLAKE3 is a cryptographic hash designed for fast, parallel processing; its default output size is 256 bits. The official BLAKE3 project README also cautions: “BLAKE3 is not a password hashing algorithm, because it’s designed to be fast, whereas password hashing should not be fast.” The README recommends Argon2 for password storage or deriving keys from passwords. paq and BLAKE3 are not password-storage tools.
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Version and installation details to check
The implementation details above come from paq 1.4.1 documentation, released December 29, 2025. A search result surfaced paq 2.0.0 dated September 26, 2026, but usable official 2.0.0 release notes or current documentation were not available in the sources cited here. Do not assume the older version’s command syntax, output, or link-handling behavior applies unchanged to 2.0.0; check the current official release documentation before relying on version-specific instructions.
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When paq is a good fit
- Use it when you want a content-oriented fingerprint for a file or directory tree and can apply the same paq rules to each comparison.
- Use another tool or an additional metadata capture when permissions, ownership, timestamps, ACLs, extended attributes, hard links, or symlink target contents must be verified.
- Do not use BLAKE3 or paq to hash passwords; password storage requires a deliberately slow password-hashing approach such as Argon2.
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