bzip2 is a freely available, patent free, high-quality data compressor.
This utility typically compresses files to within 10% to 15% of the best available techniques, whilst being around twice as fast at compression and six times faster at decompression.
bzip2 compresses files using the Burrows-Wheeler block-sorting text compression algorithm, and Huffman coding. Compression is generally considerably better than that achieved by more conventional LZ77/LZ78-based compressors, and approaches the performance of the PPM family of statistical compressors.
The archive file format of bzip2 (.bz2) is incompatible with that of its predecessor, bzip (.bz).
bzip2 is built on top of libbzip2, a flexible library for handling compressed data in the bzip2 format.
Features include:
-
- Uses several layers of compression techniques:
- Run-length encoding.
- Burrows-Wheeler transform.
- Run-length encoding.
- Huffman coding.
- Multiple Huffman tables.
- Unary base 1 encoding.
- Delta encoding.
- Sparse bit array.
- Move to front.
- Supports (limited) recovery from media errors.
- Very portable.
- Uses several layers of compression techniques:
Website: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bzip2
Support: Documentation
Developer: Julian R Seward
License: BSD-style
bzip2 is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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