Windows
Linux
File Management
Archives & Compression
Windows Compress-Archive equivalent in Linux
Compresses files or folders into a standard ZIP archive.
Windows
→
Compress-Archive
Linux equivalents
zip -r archive.zip folder/
zip -r archive.zip folder/
zip -r archive.zip folder/
Overview
What this command does
Compresses files or folders into a standard ZIP archive.
Migration tip: The Linux
zip utility is the closest match to PowerShell Compress-Archive. Use -r when the source contains directories.Practical tasks
Common use cases
Create a ZIP archive
Compresses files or folders into a standard ZIP archive.
zip archive.zip file.txt
Compress one file
zip -r project.zip project/
Compress a directory recursively
zip -9 -r backup.zip Documents/
Use maximum ZIP compression
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
zip archive.zip file.txt
zip -r project.zip project/
zip -9 -r backup.zip Documents/
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
zip archive.zip file.txt # create an archive containing one file
zip -r project.zip project/ # archive a complete directory
zip -9 -r backup.zip Documents/ # use maximum compressionReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
zip archive.zip file.txt | Compress one file |
zip -r project.zip project/ | Compress a directory recursively |
zip -9 -r backup.zip Documents/ | Use maximum ZIP compression |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
This command is the same on Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch Linux when the relevant tool is installed.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | zip -r archive.zip folder/ |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | zip -r archive.zip folder/ |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | zip -r archive.zip folder/ |
Same command on this distribution. |
Important
What to watch out for
Existing archive entries may be updated rather than replaced. Delete the old archive first when you need a completely fresh result.
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