lzma
compresses files using the Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain Algorithm
TLDR
Compress file
$ lzma [file]
Decompress file$ lzma -d [file.lzma]
Keep original file$ lzma -k [file]
Compress to stdout$ lzma -c [file] > [file.lzma]
Set compression level$ lzma -9 [file]
Test archive integrity$ lzma -t [file.lzma]
SYNOPSIS
lzma [options] [files...]
DESCRIPTION
lzma compresses files using the Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain Algorithm. It provides high compression ratios at the cost of slower compression speed.
The lzma command is typically a symlink to xz, which supports the legacy .lzma format alongside the newer .xz format.
PARAMETERS
-d, --decompress
Decompress.-z, --compress
Compress (default).-k, --keep
Keep original files.-c, --stdout
Write to stdout.-1 to -9
Compression level.-e, --extreme
Maximum compression.-t, --test
Test integrity.-f, --force
Force overwrite.
COMPARISON
$ Tool Compression Speed
gzip Medium Fast
bzip2 Good Medium
lzma/xz Best Slow
gzip Medium Fast
bzip2 Good Medium
lzma/xz Best Slow
CAVEATS
Slower compression than gzip. High memory usage at extreme levels. Legacy format; prefer xz for new files.
HISTORY
LZMA was developed by Igor Pavlov for the 7-Zip archiver in 1998. The algorithm was later standardized and the xz format created as a modern container.