[linux] Understanding bzip2 in Linux

What is bzip2?

bzip2 is a freely available program for compressing and decompressing files in Unix-like operating systems like Linux. It uses the Burrows-Wheeler block-sorting text compression algorithm and Huffman coding for final compression. This results in significantly smaller file sizes compared to the original files.

Syntax and Usage

The syntax for using bzip2 is simple and straightforward. To compress a file, you can use the following command:

bzip2 filename

This command will compress the specified file and create a new file with the “.bz2” extension.

To decompress a file that has been compressed using bzip2, you can use the following command:

bunzip2 filename.bz2

This command will decompress the specified file and restore it to its original state.

Example Codes

1. Compressing a file:

   bzip2 example.txt
   

2. Decompressing a file:

   bunzip2 example.txt.bz2
   

3. Using bzip2 with tar to compress directories:

   tar cvf - directory/ | bzip2 > directory.tar.bz2
   

Applicable Versions

bzip2 is a widely supported program and is included in most Linux distributions by default. You can check if it is installed on your system by running the following command:

bzip2 --version

This will display the version of bzip2 installed on your system.

In conclusion, bzip2 is a powerful tool for compressing and decompressing files in Linux. By understanding its syntax and usage, you can effectively manage file sizes and improve storage efficiency on your system.