p7zip

unix port of 7-Zip, providing high-ratio compression

TLDR

Extract archive

$ 7z x [archive.7z]

Extract to specific directory

$ 7z x [archive.7z] -o[/path/to/output]

Create 7z archive

$ 7z a [archive.7z] [files_or_dirs]

Create with maximum compression

$ 7z a -mx=9 [archive.7z] [files]

List archive contents

$ 7z l [archive.7z]

Test archive integrity

$ 7z t [archive.7z]

Add password encryption

$ 7z a -p[password] [archive.7z] [files]

Create encrypted archive (including filenames)

$ 7z a -p[password] -mhe=on [archive.7z] [files]

SYNOPSIS

7z command [-mhe] [-mx=level] [-p[password]] [-o[dir]] [options] archive [files]

p7zip is the Unix port of 7-Zip, providing high-ratio compression. The 7z format typically achieves 30-70% better compression than ZIP using LZMA/LZMA2 algorithms.The package provides three commands: 7z (full-featured), 7za (standalone), and 7zr (reduced, 7z format only). Most users use 7z or 7za.Archive format support includes: 7z, ZIP, GZIP, BZIP2, XZ, TAR, and extraction from many others (RAR, CAB, ISO, DMG, etc.). The -t option overrides automatic format detection.Solid archives (-ms=on) compress files as a single block, improving compression when archiving many similar files. However, this means extracting one file requires decompressing all preceding files.Encryption uses AES-256. The -mhe option encrypts filenames in addition to content, hiding what's in the archive. Password can be provided on command line (visible in process list) or prompted interactively.

PARAMETERS

Add files to archive.

Extract with full paths.

Extract to current directory.

List archive contents.

Test archive integrity.

Delete from archive.

Update files in archive.

-mx= LEVEL

Compression level (0=store, 1=fastest, 5=normal, 7=maximum, 9=ultra).

-pPASSWORD

Set password (no space between switch and value; prompts interactively if omitted).

-mhe=on

Encrypt header so filenames inside the archive are also hidden.

-oDIR

Output directory for `x`/`e` (no space between `-o` and the path).

-r

Recurse subdirectories.

-y

Assume yes to all prompts.

-t TYPE

Archive type: 7z, zip, tar, gzip, bzip2.

-v SIZE

Create volumes of specified size.

-m0= METHOD

Compression method: lzma, lzma2, bzip2, ppmd.

-ms=on

Enable solid archive mode.

CAVEATS

The 7z format does not store Unix permissions, ownership, or symlinks by default — use `-mtc=on -mta=on -mtm=on` to preserve timestamps, and prefer tar (or `tar | 7z`) when POSIX metadata matters. RAR support is extraction-only. Passwords supplied on the command line are visible in `/proc/<pid>/cmdline`. Solid archives (default for `.7z`) make single-file extraction proportional to total preceding data. The original p7zip project has been unmaintained since 2016; many distributions now ship the official 7-Zip Linux build (`7zz` binary) by Igor Pavlov instead.

HISTORY

7-Zip was created by Igor Pavlov in 1999 for Windows. p7zip is the POSIX port begun by Myspace in 2004. Since 2021, Pavlov publishes official Linux/macOS binaries (`7zz`), making p7zip largely obsolete.