Howto: UNIX Zip Command

How do I create a zip file under UNIX operating system using a shell prompt?

UNIX operating system provides the following two commands:

1. zip - Command to package and compress (archive) files.
2. unzip - Command to list, test and extract compressed files in a ZIP archive.

Open a shell prompt and type the following commands.

Task: Create a Zip File

To create a zip file, enter:

zip filename.zip input1.txt input2.txt resume.doc pic1.jpg

To include the contents of a directory in a zip archive, enter:

zip -r backup.zip /data

Files created by zip can normally be decoded by programs such as WinZip and Zip7 under MS-Windows.

Task: Decompress a zip

To decompress a zip file in Unix, enter:

unzip filename
unzip filename.zip

Featured Articles:

• 20 Linux System Monitoring Tools Every SysAdmin Should Know
• 20 Linux Server Hardening Security Tips
• My 10 UNIX Command Line Mistakes
• Linux: 20 Iptables Examples For New SysAdmins
• 25 PHP Security Best Practices For Sys Admins
• The Novice Guide To Buying A Linux Laptop
• 10 Greatest Open Source Software Of 2009
• Top 5 Email Client For Linux, Mac OS X, and Windows Users
• Top 20 OpenSSH Server Best Security Practices
• Top 10 Open Source Web-Based Project Management Software
• Top 5 Linux Video Editor Software