bzip2 and xz compression in Linux CLI - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the main purpose of bzip2 and xz commands in Linux?

They are used to compress and decompress files to save disk space and reduce transfer time.

beginner

How do you compress a file named file.txt using bzip2?

Run the command bzip2 file.txt. It creates file.txt.bz2 and removes the original file.

beginner

How do you decompress a .xz file named archive.xz?

Use the command unxz archive.xz or xz -d archive.xz. It restores the original file and removes the compressed one.

intermediate

Which compression tool generally provides better compression ratio: bzip2 or xz?

xz usually compresses files smaller than bzip2, but it may take more time to compress.

intermediate

How can you keep the original file after compressing with bzip2?

Use the -k option: bzip2 -k file.txt keeps file.txt and creates file.txt.bz2.

What file extension does bzip2 compression create?

A .gz

B .xz

C .bz2

D .zip

bzip2 creates files ending with .bz2.

Which command decompresses an .xz file?

A unxz file.xz

B bzip2 -d file.xz

C gzip -d file.xz

D xz -c file.xz

unxz or xz -d decompress .xz files.

How to compress a file with xz and keep the original file?

A xz file.txt

B xz -k file.txt

C xz -d file.txt

D xz --remove file.txt

The -k option keeps the original file after compression.

Which tool is usually faster at compressing files?

A xz

B Neither compresses files

C Both are equally fast

D bzip2

bzip2 is generally faster but compresses less tightly than xz.

What happens to the original file after running bzip2 file.txt without options?

A It is deleted

B It is renamed

C It stays unchanged

D It is copied

By default, bzip2 deletes the original file after compression.

Explain how to compress and decompress files using both bzip2 and xz commands.

Think about the commands and file extensions for both tools.

Compare bzip2 and xz in terms of compression ratio and speed.

Focus on size and speed differences.