Using gzip and my speakers have gone mad!

patwa · #1 (**permalink**) 06-15-2007

Hello,

I wanted to compress a directory which I did with:

Code:

tar -czvf backup15062007.tar.gz backup15062007/

I knew that you could specify the compression level with gzip so I then did:

Code:

gzip -cvf9 backup15062007.tar.gz backup15062007compress.tar.gz

Now I know this probably won't work )it's a 1.3GB file and still going in the background) as I'm trying to compress a file that's already compressed (with tar -z), and it's now producing output on the screen that's just complete rubbish, with umlauts and so forth, but the thing is that my speaker has gone mad. I'm using cygwin on windows XP, and the default 'ding' is playing about four times a second almost non-stop whilst the compression is going. But there are no messages on the screen other than the console window output.

Why is this?

Thanks.

H.

Ygor · #2 (**permalink**) 06-16-2007

You are uncompressing to standard output, i.e. your screen.

Code:

$ gzip --help
gzip 1.3.5
(2002-09-30)
usage: gzip [-acdfhlLnNrtvV19] [-S suffix] [file ...]
 -a --ascii       ascii text; convert end-of-lines using local conventions
 -c --stdout      write on standard output, keep original files unchanged
 -d --decompress  decompress
 -f --force       force overwrite of output file and compress links
 -h --help        give this help
 -l --list        list compressed file contents
 -L --license     display software license
 -n --no-name     do not save or restore the original name and time stamp
 -N --name        save or restore the original name and time stamp
 -q --quiet       suppress all warnings
 -r --recursive   operate recursively on directories
 -S .suf  --suffix .suf     use suffix .suf on compressed files
 -t --test        test compressed file integrity
 -v --verbose     verbose mode
 -V --version     display version number
 -1 --fast        compress faster
 -9 --best        compress better
    --rsyncable   Make rsync-friendly archive
 file...          files to (de)compress. If none given, use standard input.

patwa · #3 (**permalink**) 06-16-2007

I don't follow, surely:

Code:

gzip -cvf9 backup15072007.tar.gz backup15062007compress.tar.gz

is forcibly compressing the initial file (already compressed) with a compression level of 9 and printing the stats in verbose mode to the screen, but compressing to a file (the second filename listed)?

Why then does that have anything to do with the speakers? The command ran for an hour before I stopped it - the 'dings' were driving me mad.

H.

solfreak · #4 (**permalink**) 06-16-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by patwa

I don't follow, surely:

Code:

gzip -cvf9 backup15072007.tar.gz backup15062007compress.tar.gz

is forcibly compressing the initial file (already compressed) with a compression level of 9 and printing the stats in verbose mode to the screen, but compressing to a file (the second filename listed)?

Why then does that have anything to do with the speakers? The command ran for an hour before I stopped it - the 'dings' were driving me mad.

H.

When you send the binary output of gzip (a lot of unprintable chars and some terminal control commands) to stdout the terminal beeps in protest.

Try: gzip -cvf9 backup15072007.tar.gz > backup15062007compress.tar.gz

Another thing, compressing a gzip file again will not save any disk space and you will be spending twice the amount of time compressing and extracting the archive.

patwa · #5 (**permalink**) 06-16-2007

Ah, I get it now, missed the > sign.

BTW, I had to remove the previously corrupted archive, but:

Code:

rm -vf backup15062007.tar.gz

does not work. It says "Removed backup15062007.tar.gz" but it still shows up in the directory listing.

Thanks.

H.

patwa · #6 (**permalink**) 06-16-2007

Fixed with a restart.

Thanks again.

H.

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