You can use the unzip or tar command to extract (unzip) the file on Linux or Unix-like operating system. Unzip is a program to unpack, list, test, and compressed (extract) files and it may not be installed by default.
Use tar command to unzip a zip file
The syntax is:
tar xvf {file.zip}
tar -xvf {file.zip}
Use the following syntax if you want to extract/unzip to a particular destination directory:
tar xvf {file.zip} -C /dest/directory/
tar -xvf {file.zip} -C /dest/directory/
For example, unzip a zip file named master.zip using tar command:
tar xvf master.zip
To unzip a zip file named master.zip using tar command to a /tmp/data/ directory:
tar xvf master.zip -C /tmp/data/
ls -l /tmp/data/
cd /tmp/data/
ls -l
Sample session:
Fig.01: How to use a tar command to unzip a file on Linux/Unix-like terminal
Use unzip command to unzip a zip file
The syntax is:
unzip {file.zip}
Use the following syntax if you want to extract/unzip to a particular destination directory:
unzip -d /dest/directory/ {file.zip}
For example, unzip a zip file named master.zip using zip command:
unzip master.zip
To unzip a zip file named master.zip using zip command to a /tmp/data/ directory:
unzip -d /tmp/data/ master.zip
Sample session:
Fig.02: How to unzip a zip file from the Terminal using unzip command
A note about bash: unzip: command not found
If the unzip command NOT installed on your Linux or Unix box, then run any one of the following commands as per your Linux distribution to install the unzip command.
Install unzip on Debian/Ubuntu Linux
Use the apt-get command or apt command to install unzip command:
sudo apt-get install unzip
OR
sudo apt install unzip
Install unzip on Arch Linux
Use the pacman command to install unzip command:
pacman -S unzip
Install unzip on CentOS/RHEL/Scientific/Oracle Linux
Use the yum command to install unzip command:
yum install unzip
Install unzip on Fedora Linux
Use the dnf command to install unzip command:
dnf install unzip
Install unzip on Suse/OpenSUSE Linux
Use the dnf command to install unzip command:
zypper install unzip
Install unzip on FreeBSD unix
To install the unzip port, run:
# cd /usr/ports/archivers/unzip/ && make install clean
To add the package rung pkg command:
# pkg install unzip
Install unzip on OpenBSD unix
Type the following pkg_add command to install unzip package:
# pkg_add -v unzip
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I’d just like to interject for a moment. What you’re referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.
Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called “Linux”, and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.
There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine’s resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called “Linux” distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.
unzip worked for a zip file, tar xvf did not work for me…
error:
tar: This does not look like a tar archive
tar: Skipping to next header
tar: Exiting with failure status due to previous errors