Compress and Archive Files with Zip (with examples)

Use Case 1: Add files/directories to a specific archive

Code:

zip -r path/to/compressed.zip path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ...

Motivation:

You may want to add multiple files or directories into a compressed archive to minimize storage space or transfer the files as a single entity. This command allows you to recursively add files and directories to a specific archive.

Explanation:

• zip: The command to create a zip archive.
• -r: Recursively adds files and subdirectories to the archive.
• path/to/compressed.zip: The path where the compressed archive will be created or updated.
• path/to/file_or_directory1, path/to/file_or_directory2, etc.: The paths of the files or directories to be added to the archive.

Example Output:

If you run the command zip -r myarchive.zip folder1 file1.txt, it will create a zip archive named myarchive.zip containing folder1 and file1.txt. The contents of folder1 and file1.txt will be preserved in the archive.

Use Case 2: Remove files/directories from a specific archive

Code:

zip -d path/to/compressed.zip path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ...

Motivation:

Sometimes, you may want to remove specific files or directories from an existing zip archive. This can be useful if you want to update an archive by removing outdated or unnecessary files without recompressing the entire archive.

Explanation:

• zip: The command to modify a zip archive.
• -d: Specifies that files or directories should be deleted from the archive.
• path/to/compressed.zip: The path to the existing zip archive from which you want to remove files or directories.
• path/to/file_or_directory1, path/to/file_or_directory2, etc.: The paths of the files or directories to be removed from the archive.

Example Output:

Running the command zip -d myarchive.zip file1.txt file2.txt will remove file1.txt and file2.txt from the myarchive.zip archive.

Use Case 3: Archive files/directories excluding specified ones

Code:

zip -r path/to/compressed.zip path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ... -x path/to/excluded_files_or_directories

Motivation:

Sometimes, you may want to create a zip archive that includes multiple files and directories but excludes certain ones. This can be useful when you want to filter out specific files or directories from being included in the archive.

Explanation:

• zip: The command to create a zip archive.
• -r: Recursively adds files and subdirectories to the archive.
• path/to/compressed.zip: The path where the compressed archive will be created or updated.
• path/to/file_or_directory1, path/to/file_or_directory2, etc.: The paths of the files or directories to be added to the archive.
• -x: Specifies that certain files or directories should be excluded from the archive.
• path/to/excluded_files_or_directories: The paths of the files or directories to be excluded from the archive.

Example Output:

Assuming you have a folder structure:

folder/
├── file1.txt
├── file2.txt
├── subfolder/
│   ├── file3.txt
│   └── file4.txt
└── subfolder2/
    ├── file5.txt
    └── file6.txt

Running the command zip -r myarchive.zip folder/ -x folder/subfolder/ will create a zip archive named myarchive.zip containing folder, file1.txt, file2.txt, and subfolder2. The subfolder and its contents (file3.txt and file4.txt) will be excluded from the archive.

Use Case 4: Archive files/directories with a specific compression level

Code:

zip -r -0-9 path/to/compressed.zip path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ...

Motivation:

You may want to adjust the compression level of a zip archive based on your storage or performance requirements. Specifying a compression level allows you to balance the file size and the time taken to compress the archive.

Explanation:

• zip: The command to create a zip archive.
• -r: Recursively adds files and subdirectories to the archive.
• -0-9: Specifies the compression level. 0 means no compression, while 9 indicates maximum compression. 0 is the fastest, but results in a larger archive size, while 9 is the slowest but produces the smallest archive.

Example Output:

Running the command zip -r -9 myarchive.zip folder/ will create a zip archive named myarchive.zip using the maximum compression level. The resulting archive will be smaller in size but may take longer to generate compared to a lower compression level.

Use Case 5: Create an encrypted archive with a specific password

Code:

zip -r -e path/to/compressed.zip path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ...

Motivation:

If you need to securely store or transmit files, you may want to encrypt the contents of a zip archive. Encrypting an archive ensures that only authorized individuals with the correct password can access the files inside.

Explanation:

• zip: The command to create a zip archive.
• -r: Recursively adds files and subdirectories to the archive.
• -e: Specifies that the archive should be encrypted.
• path/to/compressed.zip: The path where the compressed and encrypted archive will be created or updated.
• path/to/file_or_directory1, path/to/file_or_directory2, etc.: The paths of the files or directories to be added to the archive.

Example Output:

When running the command zip -r -e myarchive.zip folder/, you will be prompted to enter a password for the encryption. After entering and confirming the password, the myarchive.zip archive will be created. To access the files within the encrypted archive, the correct password will be required.

Use Case 6: Archive files/directories to a multi-part split zip file

Code:

zip -r -s 3g path/to/compressed.zip path/to/file_or_directory1 path/to/file_or_directory2 ...

Motivation:

When dealing with large files or directories, you may encounter size limitations imposed by certain systems or file transfer methods. Splitting a zip archive into multiple parts allows you to overcome these limitations and transfer or store the archive more easily.

Explanation:

• zip: The command to create a zip archive.
• -r: Recursively adds files and subdirectories to the archive.
• -s 3g: Specifies the maximum size of each split archive part. In this example, each part will have a maximum size of 3 GB.
• path/to/compressed.zip: The path where the compressed and split zip archive will be created or updated.
• path/to/file_or_directory1, path/to/file_or_directory2, etc.: The paths of the files or directories to be added to the archive.

Example Output:

Running the command zip -r -s 3g myarchive.zip folder/ will create a split zip archive named myarchive.zip with each part limited to a maximum size of 3 GB. The resulting archive will have a numbered extension for each part (e.g., myarchive.zip, myarchive.z01, myarchive.z02, etc.). This allows you to transfer or store the archive in smaller chunks and reassemble them when needed.

Use Case 7: Print a specific archive contents

Code:

zip -sf path/to/compressed.zip

Motivation:

You may need to quickly view the contents of a zip archive without extracting the files. This command allows you to print a summary of the archive’s contents, providing an overview of the files and directories contained within.

Explanation:

• zip: The command to operate on zip archives.
• -sf: Specifies that the archive should be scanned and its contents displayed.
• path/to/compressed.zip: The path to the zip archive you want to inspect.

Example Output:

If you run the command zip -sf myarchive.zip, it will display a summary of the files and directories contained within the myarchive.zip archive. The output will include the names, sizes, and timestamps of the archived items.

By utilizing the various features and options provided by the zip command, you can efficiently package and compress files into zip archives. Whether you need to add or remove files, adjust compression levels, encrypt the archive, split it into smaller parts, or simply inspect its contents, the zip command provides the flexibility and versatility required for managing zip archives.