Cross-platform file compression
Command Line – zip
© Photo by Alexander Ross on Unsplash
If you use file compression regularly, zip belongs in your Linux toolbox.
File compression in Linux is usually handled by the native commands tar, gzip, or bzip2. However, an additional alternative is zip [1], a popular cross-platform command supported by a variety of scripts and utilities. If you are dealing with someone using another operating system, zip is often the ideal choice among these compression tools.
Admittedly, on Linux, zip has fallen out of favor, because for a time it did not support 64-bit computing and could not handle files large than 2MB. Today, though, zip, gzip, and bzip2 are broadly similar in functionality and structure. All three have similar options, although not always the same name for every option. All three, too, have a history of providing alternate command names for some functions, such as unzip and ungzip, that duplicate standard options – presumably to make the commands easier to remember.
Despite these similarities, neither zip nor gzip recognizes the other's extensions, although both can use files created by the other if the extension is changed. zip can use the option --bzip to use bzip options, which can produce somewhat better compression rates, at least in theory, on binary files.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Kali Linux Waxes Nostalgic with BackTrack Mode
For those who've used Kali Linux since its inception, the changes with the new release are sure to put a smile on your face.
-
Gnome 50 Smooths Out NVIDIA GPU Issues
Gamers rejoice, your favorite pastime just got better with Gnome 50 and NVIDIA GPUs.
-
System76 Retools Thelio Desktop
The new Thelio Mira has landed with improved performance, repairability, and front-facing ports alongside a high-quality tempered glass facade.
-
Some Linux Distros Skirt Age Verification Laws
After California introduced an age verification law recently, open source operating system developers have had to get creative with how they deal with it.
-
UN Creates Open Source Portal
In a quest to strengthen open source collaboration, the United Nations Office of Information and Communications Technology has created a new portal.
-
Latest Linux Kernel RC Contains Changes Galore
Linux kernel 7.0-rc3 includes more changes than have been made in a single release in recent history.
-
Nitrux 6.0 Now Ready to Rock Your World
The latest iteration of the Debian-based distribution includes all kinds of newness.
-
Linux Foundation Reports that Open Source Delivers Better ROI
In a report that may surprise no one in the Linux community, the Linux Foundation found that businesses are finding a 5X return on investment with open source software.
-
Keep Android Open
Google has announced that, soon, anyone looking to develop Android apps will have to first register centrally with Google.
-
Kernel 7.0 Now in Testing
Linus Torvalds has announced the first Release Candidate (RC) for the 7.x kernel is available for those who want to test it.