zcat
Tools that read or search compressed files without unpacking them, alongside the compressors gzip, bzip2, xz and 7-Zip.
In more detail
zcat prints a .gz file, zgrep searches it and zless pages through it. xz and 7-Zip use the LZMA2 method, which compresses better than gzip but more slowly.
Related terms
- gzip — The command that compresses a single file and replaces it with a smaller .gz version; gunzip reverses it.
- xz — A compressor that usually makes smaller files than gzip, at the cost of slower compression.
Taught in
- Friday's Backup, Monday's Restore: Incrementals, Images And Compressed Logs — CompTIA Linux+ (XK0-006) Exam Prep
- Filters: Twenty Small Tools — LPIC-1 Linux Administrator (101-500 and 102-500) Exam Prep