Using 7zip on Linux

7zip is a great open source tool for compressing files in to an archive, I use it all the time.

Installing 7zip#

Before you can use 7zip, you need to install it on your Linux system. You can do this by running the following command:

sudo apt-get install p7zip-full

Adding the Current Folder to an Archive#

To add the current folder to an archive, you can use the following command:

7z a -r archive.7z.

Here:

• 7z is the command to invoke 7zip
• a is the command to add files to an archive
• -r is the option to recurse into subdirectories
• archive.7z is the name of the archive file
• . refers to the current directory

Extracting an Archive to the Current Folder#

To extract an archive to the current folder, you can use the following command:

7z x archive.7z

Here:

• 7z is the command to invoke 7zip
• x is the command to extract files from an archive
• archive.7z is the name of the archive file

Common Tricks and Tips#

• Compressing with maximum compression: To compress an archive with maximum compression, use the -t7z option and the -m0=lzma2 option:

7z a -t7z -m0=lzma2 archive.7z.

• Encrypting an archive: To encrypt an archive, use the -p option:

7z a -p archive.7z.

You will be prompted to enter a password.

• Viewing the contents of an archive: To view the contents of an archive without extracting it, use the l command:

7z l archive.7z

• Testing the integrity of an archive: To test the integrity of an archive, use the t command:

7z t archive.7z

• Updating an archive: To update an archive, use the u command:

7z u archive.7z.

This will update the archive with the current contents of the directory.

Note: You can use the --help option with any 7zip command to view more detailed help and options. For example:

7z --help