liblzma

liblzma is a free software library that provides functions for data compression and decompression using the LZMA (Lempel–Ziv–Markov chain algorithm) compression algorithm. It is part of the XZ Utils project, a general-purpose data compression software suite. The primary goal of liblzma is to offer efficient and effective compression, particularly for large files or datasets where space is a concern.

The library exposes a C API, making it accessible to developers who wish to integrate LZMA compression and decompression capabilities into their own applications. It supports various compression levels and options, allowing users to tune the trade-off between compression ratio and speed. liblzma is known for its strong compression performance, often achieving better compression ratios than older algorithms like DEFLATE, albeit sometimes at the cost of higher CPU usage and memory requirements during compression.

liblzma is widely used in various software projects. It is the underlying engine for the .xz file format, which has become a popular alternative to .tar.gz for distributing software and archiving data due to its superior compression. Many operating systems and package managers utilize liblzma for compressing files and packages. Its open-source nature and robust performance have made it a valuable tool in the field of data compression.