How to use the command 'lz4' (with examples)
The lz4 command is used to compress or decompress .lz4 files. It is a fast compression algorithm that provides excellent compression ratios. This article will demonstrate various use cases of the lz4 command.
Use case 1: Compress a file
Code:
lz4 path/to/file
Motivation: The motivation for compressing a file is to reduce its size. This can be useful when storing or transferring large files, as it saves storage space and speeds up file transfers.
Explanation:
The lz4 command is used to compress the specified file. The path to the file should be provided as an argument.
Example output:
The file path/to/file will be compressed using the lz4 algorithm.
Use case 2: Decompress a file
Code:
lz4 -d file.lz4
Motivation: The motivation for decompressing a file is to restore it to its original uncompressed state. This can be useful when retrieving compressed files or when processing compressed data.
Explanation:
The -d option tells the lz4 command to decompress the specified .lz4 file. The filename should be provided as an argument.
Example output:
The file file.lz4 will be decompressed and restored to its original uncompressed state.
Use case 3: Decompress a file and write to stdout
Code:
lz4 -dc file.lz4
Motivation:
The motivation for decompressing a file and writing to stdout is to directly access the uncompressed data without creating a separate file. This can be useful when processing compressed data in a pipeline.
Explanation:
The -d option is used to decompress the specified .lz4 file, and the -c option tells the lz4 command to write the uncompressed data to stdout instead of a file.
Example output:
The file file.lz4 will be decompressed and the uncompressed data will be displayed on the console.
Use case 4: Package and compress a directory and its contents
Code:
tar cvf - path/to/directory | lz4 - dir.tar.lz4
Motivation: The motivation for packaging and compressing a directory and its contents is to create a single compressed file that contains all the files and subdirectories within the specified directory.
Explanation:
The tar command is used to package the specified directory and its contents, and the -cvf options tell tar to create a new archive file (-c) with verbose output (-v). The resulting archive is then piped (|) to the lz4 command, which compresses the data and saves it to the specified .tar.lz4 file.
Example output:
The directory path/to/directory and its contents will be packaged into a tar archive, which will then be compressed using the lz4 algorithm and saved as dir.tar.lz4.
Use case 5: Decompress and unpack a directory and its contents
Code:
lz4 -dc dir.tar.lz4 | tar -xv
Motivation: The motivation for decompressing and unpacking a directory and its contents is to restore the original directory structure and files from a compressed archive.
Explanation:
The lz4 command is used to decompress the specified .tar.lz4 file, and the -d and -c options tell lz4 to decompress and write the uncompressed data to stdout. This output is then piped (|) to the tar command, which extracts (-x) the contents of the archive and displays verbose output (-v).
Example output:
The file dir.tar.lz4 will be decompressed, and the resulting tar archive will be unpacked, restoring the original directory structure and files.
Use case 6: Compress a file using the best compression
Code:
lz4 -9 path/to/file
Motivation: The motivation for compressing a file using the best compression is to achieve the highest possible compression ratio, even if it comes at the cost of increased compression time.
Explanation:
The -9 option tells the lz4 command to use the highest compression level. This level provides the best compression ratio but takes longer to compress the file.
Example output:
The file path/to/file will be compressed using the lz4 algorithm with the highest compression level.
Conclusion:
The lz4 command is a versatile tool for compressing and decompressing files using the lz4 algorithm. It offers a range of options and can be used in various scenarios to reduce file sizes, process compressed data, and store data efficiently.
