What is an ipk file and how do I open an ipk file?

An Itsy package Ffile is saved in an archive file format using derived compression specifications similar to the standards used by the Debian package algorithm. These are also integrated with encoding functionalities implemented into the IPK file format. These IPK files are mainly used for facilitating installations of programs and other tools developed for handheld devices. The content of these IPK files may include program specifications and installation data that may be referenced by the operating system of the handheld device during the installation of an application associated to the IPK file. The data stored in an IPK file may point the OS of the handheld device to the directory locations certain program files required by the application should be placed. These IPK files are affixed with the .ipk extension and certain configuration data and settings entered by the author of an IPK file can also be entered into the application itself after the installation process has been completed.