The xz command is a data compression utility, similar to gzip, that reduces the size of selected files and manages files in the .xz file format. The xz command has several options.
| Option | Used To |
|---|---|
| -d | Decompress a file. |
| -f | Force compression or decompression of a file even if it has multiple links or if the file exists. |
| -q | Suppress all warnings. |
| -v | Display the name and percentage reduction of the compressed or decompressed file. |
| -t | Perform an integrity check on the compressed file. |
If you encounter the below error while running the xz command:
xz: command not found
you may try installing the below package as per your choice of distribution:
| OS Distribution | Command |
|---|---|
| OS X | brew install xz |
| Debian | apt-get install xz-utils |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install xz-utils |
| Alpine | apk add xz |
| Arch Linux | pacman -S xz |
| Kali Linux | apt-get install xz-utils |
| CentOS | yum install xz |
| Fedora | dnf install xz |
| Raspbian | apt-get install xz-utils |
Syntax
The syntax of the xz command is:
# xz [options] [file names]
xz Command Examples
1. Compress a file to the xz file format:
# xz file
2. Decompress a xz file:
# xz -d file.xz
3. Compress a file to the LZMA file format:
# xz --format=lzma file
4. Decompress an LZMA file:
# xz -d --format=lzma file.lzma
5. Decompress a file and write to stdout:
# xz -dc file.xz
6. Compress a file, but don’t delete the original:
# xz -k file
7. Compress a file using the fastest compression:
# xz -0 file
8. Compress a file using the best compression:
# xz -9 file