How to create zip file in Linux

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Today, in this article, we show how to create zip file in linux. The digital workplace relies heavily on file compression, and ZIP files are useful for this. They work similarly to the standard folders on your computer and keep all your data and files in one place. However, the contents of compressed files are compressed, requiring less data from your computer and resulting in smaller files that are simpler to send or store.

If the file name ends in “.ZIP” or “.zip”, you are viewing a ZIP file. The file icon would also be modified. Suppose after creating a zip file, all your audio files that were previously in .MP3 format will be transformed into .ZIP format, along with its icon. The recipient of a ZIP file can use it in its original format after unzipping (or extracting) it.

Today, Zip can be used with any operating system, including Windows, Linux and MacOS. You can quickly move data between operating systems and save disk space with zip. For Unix-like systems, including Linux and Windows OS, Zip is a simple, cross-platform tool for file compression and packaging. Below are the steps to create the Zip file on Linux.

Steps to Create a Zip File on Linux

Using the terminal

Step 1: Press Ctrl+Alt+T to open the terminal. The terminal is where you can insert command line functions in Linux. It is available on all Linux distributions. Press Ctrl + Alt + T To open the terminal.

On most Linux distributions that have a graphical user interface, you can open the terminal by opening the Apps menu and clicking on the icon that resembles a black screen with a white text cursor.

Step 2: Install the zip. Zip does not come preinstalled in all Linux distributions, type the following command and press Enter to install Zip on Linux:

Ubuntu and Debian: sudo apt install zip

Centos and fedora: SUDO YUM INSTALL ZIP.

Step 3: Navigate to the folder that contains the file or folder you want to zip. To do this, type CD followed by the path that contains the file or folder. and press Enter.

For example, if the file you want to compress is in the “Documents” folder, type CD Documents and press Enter.

Step 4: Type zip zip_file.zip file1 file2 file3 and press Enter. Replace “zip_file.zip” with the name of the zip file you want to create. Replace “file1”, “file2” and “file3” with the names of the files or folders you want to zip into a zip file. Then press Enter.

This command will not work if there is a space in the file name or the folder you want to compress.

You can add how many files and folders wish to final of the command.

Add -r after “zip” in the command to include all subfolders in a folder in the zip file. For example zip folder -r zipfile.zip

Add -e after “zip” in the command to add a password to the Zip file. Then you will be asked to enter and check a password.

Step 5: Type unzip zip_file.zip and press Enter to unzip a file. Replace “zip_file.zip” with the actual name of the zip file.

Using the graphical user interface

Step 1: Open the Files app. Every Linux distribution is a little different. These steps might be a little different on your Linux distribution, but they should be pretty similar. Click the icon that resembles a folder to open the Files app or whatever file browser app you are using.

Step 2: Browse to the file or folder you want to zip. You can compress an entire folder or individual file. Use the file browser to navigate to the file or folder you want to zip into a zip file.

Step 3: Right-click on the file or folder you want to compress. This displays a context menu.

Step 4: Click Compress. It’s in the context menu. In some Linux distributions, this can say “file”, “Eclair closure”Or something similar.

Step 5: Enter the zip file name you want to create. Enter the name of the file you want to create in the space below “File name”.

Some Linux distributions may use a standard name instead of allowing you to enter a name for the file you are creating.

Step 6: Click the radio option next to “Zip. It is the first option below the field with the file name.

Alternatively, you can select “.tar.xz”, which is a compressed file format used by Linux computers. You can also select “.7z”, which is a 7-zip file. 7-zip is an open source version of Winzip.

Step 7: Click Create. It’s in the upper-right or lower-right corner of the dialog box. On some distributions, this might say “OK” or something similar. This creates a zip file of the file or folder.

Final Words

We hope you like our article about how to make the zip file on Linux. Zip is probably one of the most used compression techniques out there. System administrators often use Zip, a program created by Philip Katz and released in 1989, to minimize the size of large files and directories on their computer.