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Command to compress a file

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Operating Systems Linux Red Hat Command to compress a file
# 1  
Old 11-20-2014
Command to compress a file
Hi,

When we want to compress a file which is of huge size then what command is best for us.Kindly suggest on this.

1.Tar command or
2.gzip command

OS -- Linux 2.6

Regards,
Maddy
# 2  
Old 11-20-2014
tar is an archive tool not a compressing tool, but we do happen to use tar with compression tools, and so we know change also the suffix like .tar.gz or .tgz
# 3  
Old 11-20-2014
For just one file we do not need an archive (tar = tape archive).
Go for gzip! (To be unpacked with gunzip)
Alternative: bzip2 (Better compression but much longer compression time. To be unpacked with bunzip2)
# 4  
Old 11-20-2014
2 Examples, of which each:
1. line will archieve/compress all files in current dir.
2. line will extract the archieve to current dir.

Code:
tar -acf tarball.tar.gz *
tar -axf tarball.tar.gz

gzip *
gunzip *gz

NOTE: g(un)zip will actualy change the file, and not create a new file which is (un-)compressed!

Hope this helps
# 5  
Old 11-20-2014
I use "compress" command in Linux, it does a good job.
# 6  
Old 11-20-2014
Quote:
Originally Posted by greenmike
I use "compress" command in Linux, it does a good job.
compress is a very old-fashioned compressor which is liable to make output larger than its input under certain circumstances.
# 7  
Old 11-20-2014
Thank you all for your inputs.
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