---
name: "lrz"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "lrzip"
version: "0.660-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/lrz"
---

# lrz(1)

gzip compatible command line variant of lrzip

## NAME

lrz - gzip compatible command line variant of lrzip

## SYNOPSIS

**lrz** \[options\] *file*

## DESCRIPTION

**lrz** is identical to the **lrzip** application, however, its command line options and behaviour are made to be as compatible with **gzip** as possible.

## OPTIONS

### General options

- **--stdout**

  - **-c**

  Output to STDOUT.

- **--check**

  - **-C**

  Check integrity of file written on decompression.

- **--decompress**

  - **-d**

  Decompress.

- **--encrypt**\[=*password*\]

  - **-e**

  Password protect sha512/aes128 encryption on compression.

- **--help**

  - **-h**

  - **-?**

  Show help.

- **--hash**

  - **-H**

  Display md5 hash integrity information.

- **--info**

  - **-i**

  Show compressed file information.

- **--license**

  - **-L**

  Display software version and license.

- **--progress**

  - **-P**

  Show compression progress.

- **--recursive**

  - **-r**

  Operate recursively on directories.

- **--test**

  - **-t**

  Test compressed file integrity.

- **--verbose**

  - **-v\[vv\]**

  Increase verbosity.

- **--version**

  - **-V**

  Show version.

### Options affecting output

- **--force**

  - **-f**

  Force overwrite of any existing files.

- **--keep**

  - **-k**

  Don't delete source files on de/compression.

- **--keep-broken**

  - **-K**

  Keep broken or damaged output files.

- **--outfile** *name*

  - **-o** *name*

  Specify the output file name and/or path.

- **--outdir** *dir*

  - **-O** *dir*

  Specify the output directory when **-o** is not used.

- **--suffix** *suffix*

  - **-S** *suffix*

  Specify compressed suffix (default '.lrz').

### Options affecting compression

- **--bzip2**

  - **-b**

  Bzip2 compression.

- **--gzip**

  - **-g**

  Gzip compression using zlib.

- **--lzo**

  - **-l**

  Lzo compression (ultra fast).

- **--lzma**

  Lzma compression (default).

- **--no-compress**

  - **-n**

  No backend compression - prepare for other compressor.

- **--zpaq**

  - **-z**

  Zpaq compression (best, extreme compression, extremely slow).

### Low level options

- **-1** .. **-9**

  - **--level** *level*

  - **-L** *level*

  Set lzma/bzip2/gzip compression level (1-9, default 7).

- **--fast**

  Alias for **-1**.

- **--best**

  Alias for **-9**.

- **--nice-level** *value*

  - **-N** *value*

  Set nice value to *value* (default 0).

- **--threads** *value*

  - **-P** *value*

  Set processor count to override number of threads.

- **--maxram** *size*

  - **-m** *size*

  Set maximum available ram as *size* \* 100 MB. Overrides detected amount of available ram.

- **--threshold**

  - **-T**

  Disable LZ4 compressibility testing.

- **--unlimited**

  - **-U**

  Use unlimited window size beyond ramsize (potentially much slower).

- **--window** *size*

  - **-w** *size*

  Set maximum compression window as *size* \* 100 MB. Default chosen by heuristic dependent on ram and chosen compression.

See also [**lrzip**(1)](/lrzip/1.md)

## ENVIRONMENT

lrz uses the same environment and configuration files as [**lrzip**(1)](/lrzip/1.md)

## FILES

See [**lrzip**(1)](/lrzip/1.md)

## SEE ALSO

[**lrzip.conf**(5)](/lrzip.conf/5.md), [**lrzip**(1)](/lrzip/1.md), [**lrunzip**(1)](/lrunzip/1.md), [**lrztar**(1)](/lrztar/1.md), [**lrzuntar**(1)](/lrzuntar/1.md), [**bzip2**(1)](/bzip2/1.md), [**gzip**(1)](/gzip/1.md), [**lzop**(1)](/lzop/1.md), [**rzip**(1)](/rzip/1.md), [**zip**(1)](/zip/1.md)

## AUTHORS

This manual page was written by Con Kolivas \<kernel@kolivas.org\> (but may be used by others). Released under license GNU GPL version 2 or (at your option) any later version. For more information about license, visit \<http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html\>.