zip
Archives
Usage
zip -r <archive.zip> <path>Unlike tar it carries its own compression, and it is the format a Windows machine opens with no extra software; a directory needs `-r` or you archive the folder entry and nothing inside, and the password from `-e` is legacy ZipCrypto and weak.
Common flags
| Flag | Meaning |
|---|---|
| -r | Recurse into directories. Without it you archive the directory entry and nothing inside. |
| -x '*/node_modules/*' | Exclude a pattern. Quote it so the shell leaves it alone. |
| -e | Prompt for a password. This is legacy ZipCrypto, which is weak. |
| -1 / -9 | Fastest / smallest. |
| -j | Store bare file names and drop the directory structure. |
| -u | Add only files that are new or changed. |
| -s 100m | Split the archive into 100 MB volumes. |
Examples
zip -r site.zip site -x '*/node_modules/*'The archive a Windows colleague can open, without the dependency tree.
zip -j photos.zip ~/Pictures/*.jpgOne flat archive of files from several places.
Bundling and compressing are separate jobs: tar bundles, gzip shrinks, and .tar.gz is both.
How to read this
- Square brackets [ ] mark a part you may leave out.
- An ellipsis … means you can list more than one.
- Flags are case-sensitive — in some commands -r and -R do different things.
Questions
Q. What does zip do?
Unlike tar it carries its own compression, and it is the format a Windows machine opens with no extra software; a directory needs `-r` or you archive the folder entry and nothing inside, and the password from `-e` is legacy ZipCrypto and weak.
Q. How do I type it?
zip -r <archive.zip> <path> — square brackets mark the parts you can leave out.
Q. How many flags are worth knowing?
7 are listed here; the full set is in man zip. This command sits under Archives.
Related commands
man page: man zip