How to Unzip a .gz File for Free on Linux

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Unzipping .gz files in Linux is a common task that can be easily accomplished using built-in tools. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.

Using the gzip Command

  1. Locate Your .gz File:
  • First, ensure you know the location of your .gz file. For example, you might have a file named example.gz.
  1. Extracting the .gz File:
  • Open a terminal window.
  • To extract the contents of example.gz and retain the original file, use the following command:
    gzip -d example.gz
  • This will decompress example.gz and create a file named example without the .gz extension

Using gunzip

  1. Alternative Method with gunzip:
  • gunzip is another command-line utility specifically for decompressing .gz files.
  • To achieve the same result as above, you can use:
    gunzip example.gz
  • This command will also decompress example.gz and produce example as the output file.

Conclusion

Unzipping .gz files on Linux is straightforward with commands like gzip and gunzip, which are pre-installed on most distributions. These utilities provide a quick and efficient way to extract compressed files without the need for additional software.

Next time you need to decompress a .gz file on Linux, refer back to this guide for simple and effective solutions using built-in tools. Happy extracting!

This guide focuses on practical steps for unzipping .gz files on Linux using command-line utilities, omitting unnecessary details.