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unzip Command Cheat Sheet

unzip lists, tests, or extracts compressed files in a ZIP archive.


Synopsis

unzip [options] filename.zip

Basic Usage

Extract to Current Directory

unzip archive.zip

Extract to Specific Directory (-d)

unzip archive.zip -d /var/www/html/
Creates the directory if it doesn't exist.


Listing and Testing

List Contents (-l)

See what's inside without extracting.

unzip -l archive.zip

Test Integrity (-t)

Check if the archive is corrupted.

unzip -t archive.zip
# Output: No errors detected in compressed data of archive.zip.

Handling Overwrites

Overwrite All (-o)

Dangerous but useful for scripts.

unzip -o archive.zip

Never Overwrite (-n)

Skip files that already exist.

unzip -n archive.zip

Advanced Filtering

Exclude Files (-x)

Extract everything except matching patterns.

unzip archive.zip -x "*.git/*"
unzip source.zip -x "tests/"

Extract Specific Files

unzip archive.zip "images/*"

Password Protected Zips (-P)

unzip -P "mypassword" secret.zip
Warning: Password is visible in history/process list.


Notes

  • zipinfo: Detailed technical info about the zip (compression method, version).
    zipinfo archive.zip