gunzip
Decompress gzipped files
TLDR
Extract a file from an archive, replacing the original file if it exists
Extract a file to a target destination
Extract a file and keep the archive file
List the contents of a compressed file
Decompress an archive from stdin
SYNOPSIS
gunzip [options] [file(s)]
PARAMETERS
-c, --stdout, --to-stdout
Write output on standard output; keep original files.
-d, --decompress, --uncompress
Decompress.
-f, --force
Force overwrite of output file and compress although having multiple links.
-h, --help
Display help and exit.
-k, --keep
Keep (don't delete) input files during compression or decompression.
-l, --list
List compressed file contents.
-n, --no-name
When compressing, do not save the original file name and timestamp.
-N, --name
When compressing, save original file name and timestamp.
-q, --quiet
Suppress all warnings.
-r, --recursive
Operate recursively on directories.
-S .suf, --suffix .suf
Use suffix .suf on compressed files.
-t, --test
Test compressed file integrity.
-v, --verbose
Verbose mode.
-V, --version
Display version number and exit.
DESCRIPTION
Gunzip is a compression utility used to compress or decompress files. It's commonly used to extract files that have been compressed using gzip. By default, gunzip decompresses files, replacing the compressed file with the decompressed one, while keeping the same file name, but removing the .gz suffix.
The tool can operate on single files or multiple files specified as arguments on the command line. When gunzip compresses, it typically creates a file with the '.gz' extension. It uses the Lempel-Ziv coding (LZ77) algorithm for compression. Gunzip is part of the GNU project and available on most Unix-like systems.
CAVEATS
If a compressed file has multiple links, gunzip refuses to decompress it unless the -f or --force option is given.
EXIT STATUS
Normally, the exit status is 0. If an error occurs, the exit status is 1. If a warning occurs, the exit status is 2. The manual page contains a fuller list of potential errors and exit codes.
HISTORY
Gunzip was developed as part of the GNU project to provide a free alternative to the compress utility that was subject to patent restrictions. The gzip format is now widely used for data compression due to its efficiency and open nature.