7-Zip

Welcome to 7-Zip 26.04

7-Zip is a file archiver with a high compression ratio.

The documentation for 7-Zip includes:

Notes from this site

Not part of the 7-Zip manual. Written by this site; examples checked with 7-Zip 26.04.

Quick start: the five commands most people need

Download 7-Zip from www.7-zip.org. Windows installs 7z.exe and the File Manager (graphical). The official Linux and macOS download is a console program called 7zz; the examples below use 7z, so type 7zz there, or run alias 7z=7zz in your interactive shell to paste them as they are (scripts need the real name).

7z a backup.7z folder/          # create an archive
7z l backup.7z                  # list its contents
7z x backup.7z                  # extract with folder structure, here
7z x backup.7z -oOUT            # extract into folder OUT
7z t backup.7z                  # test it before you rely on it
7z a -p -mhe=on secret.7z folder/   # with a password; file names hidden too

Write -oOUT and -p without a space after them (-p secret makes 7-Zip look for an archive named secret). Use x, not e: e drops the folder structure and puts every file side by side in one folder. In a script, check the exit code.

Extract only some files, or use a password in a script

7z x backup.7z 'folder/*.txt'          # .txt files directly in folder/
7z x backup.7z -r '*.txt'              # .txt files at any depth
7z x -p"$PW" secret.7z -oOUT          # password from a shell variable

Quote wildcards on Linux and macOS. Encryption details: 7z format and the -p switch.

Open a download

7z x download.zip -oOUT                          # zip: one step
7z x download.tar.gz -so | 7z x -si -ttar -oOUT  # .tar.gz: gzip layer, then tar layer

Other formats and the two-step tar case: supported formats.

Installing and running

Windows: if 7z is not recognized, call it by full path (the install folder is usually C:\Program Files\7-Zip) or add that folder to your PATH.
Linux and macOS, one line, where FILE.tar.xz is the file you downloaded (its real name contains the version): tar -xf FILE.tar.xz 7zz && sudo mv 7zz /usr/local/bin/. Running 7zz without arguments prints its version line.
Some distributions package the older p7zip port instead; see Thanks.
Program names and wildcard quoting: command line version.

Where do I look next?

Which command: command list (a, x, e, l, t, d, u, b)
Which switch: switch list
Stumbling blocks (-r, silent install, corrupted archives): FAQ
Free for work, and what to keep when bundling: license

7-Zip

The documentation for 7-Zip includes:

See Also