The zip command in Linux is a powerful command-line tool for creating and managing compressed files. It can be used to compress entire folders and files, or to extract compressed files. It is also a great way to quickly and easily back up large amounts of data.

Here at Fixwebnode, we will discuss the basics of using the zip command in Linux, with examples to demonstrate how to use it.

How to use Linux zip ?

The Linux zip command is used to create, extract, and manage archives. To use the Linux zip command, you need to open a terminal window and type the zip command followed by the desired options and arguments. The syntax for the command is as follows:

$ zip [options] [archive_name] [files]

zip Options

The Linux zip command has several options you can use to control the behavior of the command. The following are some of the most commonly used options:

• -a: Archive files
• -c: Create a new archive 
• -e: Encrypt an archive 
• -f: Force the zip command to overwrite existing files 
• -h: Display help 
• -j: Don't store folder paths 
• -r: Recursively add files to an archive 
• -t: Test an archive 
• -u: Update an existing archive 
• -v: Verbosely list the files in an archive 
• -x: Extract files from an archive 
• -z: Compress files in an archive

How to create a Zip File ?

To create a zip file, use the command:

$ zip <filename> <file/folder>

For example, if you wanted to create a zip file called "myfiles.zip" containing all the files in the "Documents" directory, you would use the following command:

$ zip myfiles.zip Documents/*

This will create a zip file with all the files in the "Documents" directory.

How to extract a Zip File ?

To extract the contents of a zip file, use the command:

$ unzip <filename>

For example, if you wanted to extract the contents of "myfiles.zip", you would use the following command:

$ unzip myfiles.zip

This will extract the contents of the zip file into the current directory.

How to compress a Folder ?

To compress a folder, use the command:

$ zip -r <filename> <folder>

For example, if you wanted to compress the “Documents” folder into a zip file called "myfiles.zip", you would use the following command:

$ zip -r myfiles.zip Documents

This will create a zip file containing all the files and folders in the "Documents" folder.

How to add Files to a Zip File ?

To add files to an existing zip file, use the command:

$ zip <filename> <file/folder>

For example, if you wanted to add the "myfile.txt" file to the "myfiles.zip" file, you would use the following command:

$ zip myfiles.zip myfile.txt

This will add the "myfile.txt" file to the zip file.

How to delete Files from a Zip File ?

To delete files from an existing zip file, use the command:

$ zip -d <filename> <file/folder>

For example, if you wanted to delete the "myfile.txt" file from the "myfiles.zip" file, you would use the following command:

$ zip -d myfiles.zip myfile.txt

This will delete the “myfile.txt” file from the zip file.

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