How to Gzip a file directory on Mac OS X using Terminal Command

⚡️ Usage: gzip [OPTION]... [FILE]... - Compress or uncompress FILEs (by default, compress FILES in-place).

If you want to gzip a file or a directory, you can do it by running a simple command using Terminal.

1. Go to Spotlight Search and type Terminal and Open it,
2. Now browse to the location where the file or folder is presently using the cd command. (eg. if the file is situated on the desktop: cd /Users/your-mac-user-name/Desktop/
3. Now simply type gzip followed by the file name with extension.

Example for single file : gzip filename.txt

Example for dir : tar cvf - myDirToCompress | gzip > myDirToCompress.gzip

Need more details - type "gzip -h" to get help!

  -a, --ascii       ascii text; convert end-of-line using local conventions
  -c, --stdout      write on standard output, keep original files unchanged
  -d, --decompress  decompress
  -f, --force       force overwrite of output file and compress links
  -h, --help        give this help
  -k, --keep        keep (don't delete) input files
  -l, --list        list compressed file contents
  -L, --license     display software license
  -n, --no-name     do not save or restore the original name and timestamp
  -N, --name        save or restore the original name and timestamp
  -q, --quiet       suppress all warnings
  -r, --recursive   operate recursively on directories
      --rsyncable   make rsync-friendly archive
  -S, --suffix=SUF  use suffix SUF on compressed files
      --synchronous synchronous output (safer if system crashes, but slower)
  -t, --test        test compressed file integrity
  -v, --verbose     verbose mode
  -V, --version     display version number
  -1, --fast        compress faster
  -9, --best        compress better

With no FILE, or when FILE is -, read standard input.

⛔️ Warning: When you gzip compress file using gzip command on the Mac the original file is deleted!!