lzip
lzip is a free lossless data compressor based on a simplified form of the LZMA algorithm.
What lzip is
lzip is a free lossless data compressor based on a simplified form of the LZMA algorithm. It creates .lz files intended for data sharing and long-term archiving, with CRC32 and other integrity information to help detect compressed-data errors. GNU Tar can create and extract lzip-compressed archives, and lzip files can also be extracted with tar or by piping lzip output to tar.
The format supports 64-bit compressed and uncompressed sizes. For larger data, it uses multiple members, allowing unlimited total file size; its maximum dictionary size is 512 MiB, which permits decompression on 32-bit machines. The related lziprecover program can repair bit-flip errors and merge damaged copies with error checking. The manual includes source code for a simple decompressor. The reference implementation is copylefted under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later. The site documents compiling it with ./configure and make check, followed optionally by make install. Lzip supports Linux, macOS, Windows, and other Unix-like systems, and includes command-line tools and split archives.
Good
- CRC32 and other information help detect data errors.
- Supports unlimited total file size.
- lziprecover can repair bit-flip errors.
- GNU Tar supports lzip-compressed archives.
Watch out
- Maximum dictionary size is 512 MiB.
- Compiling requires configure and make check.
Who it suits
lzip may suit people who need a free command-line compressor for sharing or long-term archiving. Its related recovery program and GNU Tar integration may be useful when handling damaged or archived files.
Verdict
lzip provides a free, interoperable compression format with integrity checks and a related recovery tool. Its command-line build process and 512 MiB maximum dictionary size are worth noting.
The facts
Each one read from lzip's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Archiving
- The lzip file format is designed for data sharing and long-term archiving, with attention to data integrity and decoder availability.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Build
- The site documents compiling lzip with ./configure and make check, followed optionally by make install.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Compression format
- Lzip uses a simplified form of LZMA and is designed for interoperability between implementations.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Data preservation
- The lzip format is designed for data sharing and long-term archiving, and its manual includes source code for a simple decompressor.checked 5 Oct 2026
- File size
- Lzip supports 64-bit uncompressed and compressed sizes and automatically uses multiple members for larger data, allowing unlimited total file size.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The site lists GNU Tar as able to automatically create and extract lzip-compressed tar archives.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Integrity checks
- Lzip provides three-factor integrity checking of compressed data.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Interoperability
- Lzip files can be extracted with tar or by piping lzip output to tar.checked 5 Oct 2026
- License
- Lzip is free software distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or any later version.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- Lzip was written and is maintained by Antonio Diaz Diaz.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Memory limit
- The maximum dictionary size is 512 MiB, allowing lzip files to be decompressed on 32-bit machines.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Lzip is a lossless data compressor based on the LZMA algorithm.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Quality assurance
- The manual says lzip, clzip, and minilzip/lzlib are tested to produce identical output, and that the implementations have been tested with lziprecover, valgrind, and american fuzzy lop.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Recovery
- The related lziprecover program can repair bit-flip errors and merge damaged copies of a file with error checking.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Release updates
- Users may subscribe to lzip-bug to receive an email when a new version is released.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Source availability
- The reference implementation is copylefted, and the site says this guarantees it will remain free forever.checked 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- Bug reports can be sent to the lzip-bug mailing list at [email protected].checked 5 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platforms
- The site provides a Windows 32-bit port and describes lzip as suitable for Unix-like systems.checked 5 Oct 2026
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