lzip
What it is
lzip is a free, lossless data compressor that creates .lz files using a simplified form of the LZMA algorithm. Its format is intended for data sharing and long-term archiving, with CRC32 and other integrity information to help detect errors in compressed data. The format is designed for interoperability, and GNU Tar can create and extract lzip-compressed archives. Lzip files can also be extracted with tar or by piping lzip output to tar.
The format supports 64-bit compressed and uncompressed sizes; larger inputs are handled with multiple members, allowing unlimited total file size. Its maximum dictionary size is 512 MiB, which allows decompression on 32-bit machines. The related lziprecover program can repair bit-flip errors and combine damaged copies with error checking. The manual includes source code for a simple decompressor. Lzip is free software under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or later, and is available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and other Unix-like systems. The site documents building it with ./configure and make check, followed optionally by make install.
For and against
For
- CRC32 and other information help detect data errors.
- lziprecover can repair bit-flip errors.
- GNU Tar supports lzip-compressed archives.
- Supports unlimited total file size.
Against
- Maximum dictionary size is 512 MiB.
- Building from source uses configure and make.
The verdict
lzip focuses on lossless compression, integrity checks, and long-term access to .lz archives. Its companion recovery tool and documented tar support may be useful for archive workflows.
Who it suits
lzip suits people who need a command-line compressor for sharing or preserving data, including users working with GNU Tar. Its listed platforms include Linux, macOS, Windows, and other Unix-like systems.
On the record
- Archiving
- The lzip file format is designed for data sharing and long-term archiving, with attention to data integrity and decoder availability.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Build
- The site documents compiling lzip with ./configure and make check, followed optionally by make install.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Compression format
- Lzip uses a simplified form of LZMA and is designed for interoperability between implementations.nongnu.org · read 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.nongnu.org · read 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.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The site lists GNU Tar as able to automatically create and extract lzip-compressed tar archives.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Integrity checks
- Lzip provides three-factor integrity checking of compressed data.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Interoperability
- Lzip files can be extracted with tar or by piping lzip output to tar.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- License
- Lzip is free software distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2 or any later version.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- Lzip was written and is maintained by Antonio Diaz Diaz.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Memory limit
- The maximum dictionary size is 512 MiB, allowing lzip files to be decompressed on 32-bit machines.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Lzip is a lossless data compressor based on the LZMA algorithm.nongnu.org · read 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.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Recovery
- The related lziprecover program can repair bit-flip errors and merge damaged copies of a file with error checking.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Release updates
- Users may subscribe to lzip-bug to receive an email when a new version is released.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Source availability
- The reference implementation is copylefted, and the site says this guarantees it will remain free forever.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- The project directs bug reports and general discussion to the lzip-bug mailing list.nongnu.org · read 5 Oct 2026
