tgz

tgz is a file format that combines tar packaging with gzip compression. It is typically created by taking a tar archive of files and directories and then compressing that archive with gzip. The resulting file commonly uses the extensions .tar.gz or the shortened form .tgz. The tar component preserves file metadata such as permissions, ownership, and timestamps, while gzip reduces the overall size.

Creation and extraction are straightforward on Unix-like systems. For example, tar -czf archive.tgz source/ creates a compressed tarball, and tar -xzf archive.tgz extracts it. The tar program handles both steps when the appropriate options are provided. On Windows, tgz files can be handled by tools such as 7-Zip, WinRAR, or the Windows Subsystem for Linux.

History and usage context: tar, designed to concatenate multiple files into a single archive, predates gzip, which was released in 1992 by Jean-louis Gailly and Mark Adler. The combination of tar with gzip became a standard in Unix-like environments for distributing software, backups, and data collections. The .tgz form is a commonly used shorthand for tar.gz, though both extensions are widely recognized.

Compatibility and alternatives: tgz is widely supported across operating systems. Some users prefer .tar.gz for clarity, while others use .tgz for brevity. Other compressed archive formats include tar.xz and tar.bz2, which offer different compression algorithms. When handling tgz archives, tar can perform extraction without requiring a separate decompression step.

Security: Downloaded tarballs should be verified with checksums or digital signatures to mitigate tampering or corruption. They can contain executable scripts or binaries, so appropriate caution is advised when unpacking from untrusted sources.