---
name: "ouch"
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"
---

# ouch(1)

A command-line utility for easily compressing and decompressing files and directories.

## NAME

ouch - A command-line utility for easily compressing and decompressing files and directories.

## SYNOPSIS

**ouch** \[**-y**\|**--yes**\] \[**-n**\|**--no**\] \[**-A**\|**--accessible**\] \[**-H**\|**--hidden**\] \[**-q**\|**--quiet**\] \[**-g**\|**--gitignore**\] \[**-f**\|**--format**\] \[**-p**\|**--password**\] \[**-c**\|**--threads**\] \[**-h**\|**--help**\] \[**-V**\|**--version**\] \<*subcommands*\>

## DESCRIPTION

A command-line utility for easily compressing and decompressing files and directories.

Supported formats: tar, zip, gz, 7z, xz, lzma, lzip, bz/bz2, bz3, lz4, sz (Snappy), zst, rar and br.

Repository: https://github.com/ouch-org/ouch

## OPTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

  Activate accessibility mode, reducing visual noise

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

  Ignore hidden files

- **-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 (see a summary with '-h')

- **-V**, **--version**

  Print version

## SUBCOMMANDS

- [ouch-compress(1)](/ouch-compress/1.md)

  Compress one or more files into one output file

- [ouch-decompress(1)](/ouch-decompress/1.md)

  Decompresses one or more files, optionally into another folder

- [ouch-list(1)](/ouch-list/1.md)

  List contents of an archive

## VERSION

v0.8.3