---
title: "How to compress / extract tar files on Linux"
slug: "how-to-compress-extract-tar-files-on-linux-1"
description: "tar gives a better compression rate and speed than zip on Linux, where zip files also hit permission issues. Compress by right-click then tar.xz, or tar -zcvf, extract with tar -zxvf, and split oversized archives into 1024MB segments."
updated: 2026-09-29T13:25:31Z
published: 2026-09-29T13:25:31Z
canonical: "knowledge.navvis.com/how-to-compress-extract-tar-files-on-linux-1"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.navvis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to compress / extract tar files on Linux

---

## Introduction

### Problem description

Often the zip files have quite bad compression rate, or they have permission issues on Linux machines.

As a standard compress option, tar files have quite nice compression rate and speed on Linux systems.

### 1. GUI method to compress

1. Right-click on the folder / file, and choose compress.

![Right-click context menu for a folder named NavVis showing options — Open (Return), Open With Other Application, Open In New Tab (Ctrl+Return), Open In New Window (Shift+Return), Cut (Ctrl+X), Copy (Ctrl+C), Move to..., Copy to..., Move to Trash (Delete), Rename... (F2), Compress..., Open in Terminal, Send to..., Local Network Share, Star, Properties (Ctrl+I).](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/how-to-compress-_-extract-tar-files-on-linux_page_0002_img_01.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-14T08%3A27%3A00Z&se=2026-10-14T09%3A27%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qKTJYHhfs1i0%2Fv94UrN%2F93Zln5n61s1sbNL%2BQMY2s0c%3D)

2. The zip options are displayed, select the **tar.xz** option.

![Create Archive dialog showing Archive name field with NavVis, a file type dropdown currently .zip and a dropdown list of archive types: .zip — Compatible with all operating systems., .zip — Password protected .zip, must be installed on Windows and Mac., .tar.xz — Smaller archives but Linux and Mac only., .7z — Smaller archives but must be installed on Windows and Mac. Top buttons: Cancel and Create.](https://cdn.document360.io/bf174766-fa1a-4fe1-a4d7-b1db1e7cb996/Images/Documentation/how-to-compress-_-extract-tar-files-on-linux_page_0002_img_02.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-14T08%3A27%3A00Z&se=2026-10-14T09%3A27%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=qKTJYHhfs1i0%2Fv94UrN%2F93Zln5n61s1sbNL%2BQMY2s0c%3D)

## 2. Terminal method to compress

You may also utilize the following command as an option to zip a file or directory:

```plaintext
tar -zcvf <name>.tar.gz <target_directory>
```

Compress into divided segments in specific situations when the individual compressed file is excessively large (e.g. divide the compressed files into 1024MB segments):

```plaintext
tar -cvj large-files.avi | split -b 1024m -d - "large-split.tar.bz."
```

### 3. Extract

```plaintext
tar -zxvf archive_name.tar.gz
```

To extract connected sections of compressed file:

```plaintext
cat large-split.tar.xz.* | tar -xzvf -
```

> **Note:** the tar compress option has different variations, for example .gz, .xz, .bz. etc. Please change accordingly to your specific file type.

---

## FAQ

**What is the main problem with zip files on Linux machines?**

Zip files often have a poor compression rate and may encounter permission issues on Linux systems.

**What is a recommended compression option for Linux systems?**

**How can I compress a folder or file using the GUI method?**

**What command do I use to compress a file or folder in the terminal?**

**How can I extract a tar.gz file?**

**Is it possible to split a large compressed file into smaller chunks?**

**What should I do to extract connected chunks of a compressed file?**

**Are there different variations of the tar compress option?**

**Can I use the terminal method for compression on Linux?**

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