How to use the command 7z (with examples)

7z is a file archiver with a high compression ratio. It allows users to create and manipulate compressed archive files. This article will illustrate several use cases of the 7z command.

Use case 1: Add a file or directory to a new or existing archive

Code:

7z a path/to/archive.7z path/to/file_or_directory

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you want to compress a file or directory into an archive for storage or sharing purposes.

Explanation:

• 7z is the command itself.
• a specifies the operation to add files or directories to an archive.
• path/to/archive.7z is the path where the newly created or existing archive will be stored.
• path/to/file_or_directory is the path of the file or directory that you want to add to the archive.

Example output:

Compressing  path/to/file_or_directory
Everything is Ok

Use case 2: Encrypt an existing archive (including filenames)

Code:

7z a path/to/encrypted.7z -ppassword -mhe=on path/to/archive.7z

Motivation: Encrypting an archive can provide an extra layer of security, ensuring that only authorized users can access the contents.

Explanation:

• -ppassword specifies the password for encryption. Replace password with the desired password.
• -mhe=on enables the encrypt headers mode, which encrypts not only the files but also the archive metadata.

Example output:

Creating archive path/to/encrypted.7z

Compressing  path/to/archive.7z
Everything is Ok

Use case 3: Extract an archive preserving the original directory structure

Code:

7z x path/to/archive.7z

Motivation: Extracting an archive while preserving the original directory structure is helpful when you want to restore the files to their original locations.

Explanation:

• x specifies the operation to extract files from an archive.
• path/to/archive.7z is the path to the archive file that you want to extract.

Example output:

Extracting archive: path/to/archive.7z

Everything is Ok

Folders: 1
Files: 3
Size:       25189
Compressed: 4503

Use case 4: Extract an archive to a specific directory

Code:

7z x path/to/archive.7z -opath/to/output

Motivation: Extracting an archive to a specific directory allows you to control where the extracted files will be placed.

Explanation:

• -o specifies the output directory where the extracted files should be placed.
• path/to/output is the path to the directory where you want to extract the files.

Example output:

Extracting archive: path/to/archive.7z

Everything is Ok

Folders: 1
Files: 3
Size:       25189
Compressed: 4503

Use case 5: Extract an archive to stdout

Code:

7z x path/to/archive.7z -so

Motivation: Extracting an archive to stdout allows you to view the contents of the archive without extracting them to the filesystem.

Explanation:

• -so redirects the output to stdout.

Example output:

Contents of path/to/archive.7z:

folder/
folder/file1.txt
folder/file2.txt
folder/subfolder/
folder/subfolder/file3.txt

Use case 6: Archive using a specific archive type

Code:

7z a -t7z|bzip2|gzip|lzip|tar|zip path/to/archive path/to/file_or_directory

Motivation: Archiving files in different formats can provide compatibility with different tools or platforms.

Explanation:

• -t specifies the archive type to use. Replace 7z|bzip2|gzip|lzip|tar|zip with the desired archive format.
• path/to/archive is the path where the newly created archive will be stored.

Example output:

Compressing  path/to/file_or_directory
Everything is Ok

Use case 7: List the contents of an archive

Code:

7z l path/to/archive.7z

Motivation: Listing the contents of an archive can help you quickly check what files are included before or after extraction.

Explanation:

• l specifies the operation to list the contents of an archive.
• path/to/archive.7z is the path to the archive file that you want to list.

Example output:

Date      Time    Attr         Size   Size.   Packing  Name
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ....A             0             0  folder/
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ....A          1000          1000  folder/file1.txt
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ....A          2000          2000  folder/file2.txt
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ....A             0             0  folder/subfolder/
YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS ....A          3000          3000  folder/subfolder/file3.txt
------------------- ----- ------------ ------------  ------------------------
                                   6000          6000  5 files, 1 folders

Use case 8: Set the level of compression

Code:

7z a path/to/archive.7z -mx=0|1|3|5|7|9 path/to/file_or_directory

Motivation: Being able to adjust the level of compression allows you to find a balance between file size and compression time.

Explanation:

• -mx specifies the level of compression. Replace 0|1|3|5|7|9 with the desired compression level.
  • 0 is no compression.
  • 1 is fastest compression.
  • 9 is best compression.
• path/to/archive.7z is the path where the newly created archive will be stored.

Example output:

Compressing  path/to/file_or_directory
Everything is Ok

Conclusion:

The 7z command provides a versatile and powerful tool for file compression and archiving. With its various options and arguments, you can effectively manage your files and save storage space. Whether you need to create an archive, extract its contents, or manipulate the compression settings, the 7z command has you covered.