
How to Use the Gzip Command in Linux
The `gzip` command is a popular tool used in Linux for file compression. It allows you to compress and decompress files using the gzip compression algorithm. Here's how you can use the `gzip` command:
1. **Compression**: To compress a file, use the following syntax:
```
gzip [options] [filename]
```
For example, to compress a file named "example.txt," you would run:
```
gzip example.txt
```
This command will create a compressed file named "example.txt.gz" and delete the original file.
**Options**:
- `-c`: Write the compressed output to standard output without deleting the original file.
- `-k`: Keep the original file after compression (does not delete the original file).
2. **Decompression**: To decompress a file, use the following syntax:
```
gzip -d [filename.gz]
```
For example, to decompress a file named "example.txt.gz," you would run:
```
gzip -d example.txt.gz
```
This command will decompress the file and restore it to its original state. The compressed file "example.txt.gz" will be deleted.
**Options**:
- `-c`: Write the decompressed output to standard output without deleting the original file.
- `-k`: Keep the compressed file after decompression (does not delete the original file).
Note: The `gzip` command can also compress or decompress multiple files by providing multiple filenames as arguments.
Additional options and flags are available for advanced usage. You can refer to the `gzip` command's manual page for more information by running `man gzip` in the terminal.
Date: 20 June 2023 Comments: 0