---
name: "ouch-compress"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "ouch"
version: "0.8.3-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ouch-compress"
---

# ouch-compress(1)

Compress one or more files into one output file

## NAME

ouch-compress - Compress one or more files into one output file

## SYNOPSIS

**ouch compress** \[**-l**\|**--level**\] \[**-y**\|**--yes**\] \[**--fast**\] \[**-n**\|**--no**\] \[**-A**\|**--accessible**\] \[**--slow**\] \[**-H**\|**--hidden**\] \[**-S**\|**--follow-symlinks**\] \[**-q**\|**--quiet**\] \[**-g**\|**--gitignore**\] \[**-f**\|**--format**\] \[**-p**\|**--password**\] \[**-c**\|**--threads**\] \[**-h**\|**--help**\] \<*FILES*\> \<*OUTPUT*\>

## DESCRIPTION

Compress one or more files into one output file

## OPTIONS

- **-l**, **--level** *\<LEVEL\>*

  Compression level, applied to all formats

- **-y**, **--yes**

  Skip \[Y/n\] questions, default to yes

- **--fast**

  Fastest compression level possible, conflicts with --level and --slow

- **-n**, **--no**

  Skip \[Y/n\] questions, default to no

- **-A**, **--accessible**

  Activate accessibility mode, reducing visual noise

- **--slow**

  Slowest (and best) compression level possible, conflicts with --level and --fast

- **-H**, **--hidden**

  Ignore hidden files

- **-S**, **--follow-symlinks**

  Read from target files instead of from symlinks (relevant for \`tar\` and \`zip\`)

- **-q**, **--quiet**

  Silence output

- **-g**, **--gitignore**

  Ignore files matched by git's ignore files

- **-f**, **--format** *\<FORMAT\>*

  Specify the format of the archive

- **-p**, **--password** *\<PASSWORD\>*

  Decompress or list with password

- **-c**, **--threads** *\<THREADS\>*

  Concurrent working threads

- **-h**, **--help**

  Print help

- \<*FILES*\>

  Files to be compressed

- \<*OUTPUT*\>

  The resulting file. Its extensions can be used to specify the compression formats