Gzip
tool, compression
GNU compression utility. Gzip reduces the size of the named files using Lempel-Ziv LZ77 compression. Whenever possible, each file is replaced by one with the filename extension “.gz”. Compressed files can be restored to their original form using gzip -d or gunzip or zcat.
The Unix “compress” utility is patented (by two separate patents, in fact) and is thus shunned by the GNU Project since it is not free software. They have therefore chosen gzip, which is free of any known software patents and which tends to compress better anyway. All compressed files in the GNU anonymous FTP area (gnu.org/pub/gnu) are in gzip format and their names end in “.gz” (as opposed to “compress”-compressed files, which end in “.Z”).
Gzip can uncompress “compress”-compressed files and “pack” files (which end in “.z”). The decompression algorithms are not patented, only compression is.
The gzip program is available from any GNU archive site in shar, tar, or gzipped tar format (for those who already have a prior version of gzip and want faster data transmission). It works on virtually every Unix system, MS-DOS, OS/2 and VMS.
Read Also:
- H
[eych] /eɪtʃ/ noun, plural H’s or Hs, h’s or hs. 1. the eighth letter of the English alphabet, a consonant. 2. any spoken sound represented by the letter H or h, as in hot or behave. 3. something having the shape of an H . 4. a written or printed representation of the letter H […]
- H.261
networking, standard A video compression standard developed by ITU-T before 1992 to work with integrated service digital network. Data is compressed at the rate of 64P kilobits per second, where P can range from 1 to 30 depending on the number of ISDN channels used. This standard was developed primarily to support video phones and […]
- H.264
video, standard (Or Advanced Video Coding, AVC) A low bit rate visual communication standard used in video conferencing. H.264 was developed by MPEG and ITU-T VCEG to replace H.263. Video and image compression resources and research (http://www.vcodex.fsnet.co.uk/h264.html). (2007-03-16)
- H.323
communications, standard The ITU-T standard for sending voice (audio) and video using IP on a LAN without QoS. H.323 includes Q.931 for call setup, H.225 for call signalling, H.245 for exchanging terminal capabilities, RTP/RTCP for packet streaming, G.711/G.712 for CODECs, and several other protcols, many of which need to be negotiated to setup a simple […]
- H8
abbreviation 1. hate