How to Zip Files in the Linux Terminal

Zipping files in Linux via the terminal is not only efficient but often essential for organizing, compressing, or sharing files in a single package. The zip command-line utility is the most common tool for this purpose and offers powerful options for compressing files and directories.

This guide walks you through everything — from basic usage to advanced compression techniques — using only the Linux terminal.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the zip utility is installed. Most modern distributions come with it, but if it’s missing, you can install it with:

Debian/Ubuntu:
bash
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sudo apt install zip

Red Hat/Fedora/CentOS:
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sudo dnf install zip

Arch Linux:
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sudo pacman -S zip

1. Basic Syntax of the zip Command

The most basic usage of the zip command looks like this:

bash

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zip archive_name.zip file1 file2 file3

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What It Does:

• Creates a file called archive_name.zip.
• Adds file1, file2, and file3 to it.

Example:

bash

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zip mydocs.zip resume.pdf notes.txt budget.xlsx

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2. How to Zip an Entire Directory (Recursive)

If you want to compress a whole folder (including its subfolders and contents), use the -r (recursive) option:

bash

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zip -r archive_name.zip directory_name

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Example:

bash

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zip -r project_backup.zip my_project/

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This compresses the my_project folder and everything inside it.

3. How to Zip Files by File Type

You can compress files of a specific type using wildcards:

bash

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zip archive_name.zip *.txt *.pdf

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Example:

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zip text_docs.zip *.txt

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This command adds all .txt files in the current directory to text_docs.zip.

4. Adjusting Compression Level

The zip command lets you control the level of compression:

• -0: No compression (store only)
• -9: Maximum compression

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zip -9 archive_name.zip file1 file2

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Use Case:
Use -9 when you need the smallest possible ZIP file (e.g., for email attachments).

5. Suppress Output for Quiet Mode

If you want to zip files without displaying progress in the terminal, use the -q option:

bash

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zip -q archive_name.zip file1 file2

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This keeps your terminal output clean, especially in scripts or automation.

6. Practical Example — Step-by-Step

Let’s walk through a real scenario to reinforce what you’ve learned:

Step 1: Create a Test Directory

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mkdir test_folder

cd test_folder

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Step 2: Create Sample Files

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touch sample1.txt sample2.c sample3.md

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Step 3: Go Back and Zip the Folder

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cd ..

zip -r my_test_archive.zip test_folder

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Step 4: List Contents of the ZIP Archive

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unzip -l my_test_archive.zip

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This displays all files and folders inside the archive without extracting them.

7. How to Unzip Files in Linux

To extract contents of a ZIP archive:

bash

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unzip archive_name.zip

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Example:

bash

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unzip my_test_archive.zip

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This will extract all contents to the current working directory.

If you only want to test the archive's integrity (without extracting):

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unzip -t archive_name.zip

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Bonus: Useful Flags at a Glance

Option

Description

-r

Recursive: include directories

-q

Quiet mode (suppress output)

-9

Max compression

-0

No compression

-v

Verbose output

-e

Encrypt archive with password

Final Thoughts

Mastering the zip command in Linux empowers you to:

• Save space on disk
• Package and share files easily
• Automate archiving in scripts
• Secure files with password-protected ZIPs (using -e)

Whether you’re a system administrator, developer, or casual Linux user, knowing how to use zip effectively from the terminal is a valuable skill in your toolkit.

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