Cheat Sheet #day63 - zip

zip Command Cheatsheet

The zip command is used to compress files into a ZIP archive. It is a popular utility for archiving and compressing files in Unix-like systems. Here’s a quick reference guide:

Basic Syntax

zip [OPTION]... ZIP_FILE FILE...

Common Options

• -r, --recurse-paths: Recursively include directories and their contents.

    zip -r archive.zip directory/
  

• -e, --encrypt: Encrypt the archive with a password.

    zip -e archive.zip file.txt
  

• -9, --best: Use the best compression method.

    zip -9 archive.zip file.txt
  

• -0, --store: Store files without compression.

    zip -0 archive.zip file.txt
  

• -q, --quiet: Suppress all output except errors.

    zip -q archive.zip file.txt
  

• -x, --exclude: Exclude files matching the pattern.

    zip -r archive.zip * -x "*.bak"
  

• -j, --junk-paths: Do not store the full pathnames.

    zip -j archive.zip directory/*
  

• -d, --delete: Delete files from the archive.

    zip -d archive.zip file.txt
  

• -l, --local: Store symbolic links as symbolic links.

    zip -l archive.zip link.txt
  

Examples

1. Create a ZIP archive with files:

    zip archive.zip file1.txt file2.txt
   

2. Compress a directory recursively:

    zip -r archive.zip directory/
   

3. Encrypt an archive with a password:

    zip -e archive.zip file.txt
   

4. Use maximum compression:

    zip -9 archive.zip file.txt
   

5. Store files without compression:

    zip -0 archive.zip file.txt
   

6. Suppress output except errors:

    zip -q archive.zip file.txt
   

7. Exclude files matching a pattern:

    zip -r archive.zip * -x "*.bak"
   

8. Store files without full pathnames:

    zip -j archive.zip directory/*
   

9. Delete a file from an archive:

    zip -d archive.zip file.txt
   

10. Store symbolic links as links:

    zip -l archive.zip link.txt
    

Additional Information

• Help option:

    zip --help
  

• View zip manual page:

    man zip
  

This cheatsheet covers the essential options and usage scenarios for the zip command. For more detailed information, refer to the man page or use zip --help.