mcmilk/7-zip-zstd

★ 6,935CAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((7-Zip-zstd))
    What it does
      Extended 7-Zip build
      Extra compression formats
      File hash calculation
    Formats added
      Zstandard
      LZ4
      Brotli
      Fast-LZMA2
    Install options
      Full GUI replacement
      Plugin-only add-on
      CLI for Linux and macOS
    Use cases
      Faster backups
      Large file archiving
      Hash verification

mindmap root((7-Zip-zstd)) What it does Extended 7-Zip build Extra compression formats File hash calculation Formats added Zstandard LZ4 Brotli Fast-LZMA2 Install options Full GUI replacement Plugin-only add-on CLI for Linux and macOS Use cases Faster backups Large file archiving Hash verification

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Use Zstandard compression in 7-Zip to get better compression ratios with fast decompression for backups or file distribution.

USE CASE 2

Use LZ4 compression for scenarios where speed matters most, compressing and decompressing files at hundreds of megabytes per second.

USE CASE 3

Install the plugin-only version to add new compression codecs to an existing 7-Zip installation without changing the graphical interface.

USE CASE 4

Calculate file hashes like SHA-256 or BLAKE3 directly from the 7-Zip interface without needing a separate tool.

Tech stack

CC++

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Download the installer or plugin files from GitHub Releases and run, no compilation required.

Open source, free to use for any purpose, check the repository for the specific license terms for each included component.

In plain English

7-Zip-zstd is a modified version of the 7-Zip file archiver that adds support for several modern compression formats not included in the standard release. The extra formats are Zstandard, Brotli, LZ4, LZ5, Lizard, and Fast-LZMA2. Each targets a different balance between compression speed and file size, so you can pick whichever fits your needs. Zstandard is a general-purpose format designed for high compression ratios with fast decompression. LZ4 prioritizes raw speed, compressing and decompressing at several hundred megabytes per second. Brotli achieves compact sizes similar to ZIP but at slower speeds. Lizard and LZ5 sit between LZ4 and heavier formats in terms of the speed-versus-size tradeoff. Fast-LZMA2 is a parallel-friendly version of LZMA2 that compresses 20 to 100 percent faster than the standard algorithm at comparable levels. You can install it in two ways. The full setup replaces or supplements your existing 7-Zip installation, adds the new codecs to the graphical interface, and extends the Windows Explorer right-click menu. The plugin-only option drops just the codec files into an existing 7-Zip installation without changing the GUI. Command-line binaries for Linux and macOS are also available. The full installation also adds support for computing a wide range of file hashes including MD5, SHA-256, SHA-512, BLAKE3, and several others, which you can calculate directly from the 7-Zip interface. Some antivirus programs flag the releases as malware. The README explains this is a false positive. The binaries are built by GitHub Actions on Microsoft infrastructure, and users can verify the files themselves by checking the SHA-256 hash of a release against the build artifacts published in the Actions run logs.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

I want to compress a large folder using Zstandard via the 7-zip-zstd build. Write the command-line syntax to create a .zst archive at compression level 19.

Prompt 2

Explain the difference between LZ4 and Zstandard compression in 7-zip-zstd so I can decide which format to use for my backup scripts.

Prompt 3

I already have 7-Zip installed and want to add Zstandard support without reinstalling. Walk me through adding just the codec plugin files from 7-zip-zstd.

Prompt 4

Write a Windows batch script that uses 7-zip-zstd to compress a folder into a Zstandard archive and then verify its SHA-256 hash.

Prompt 5

I downloaded a 7-zip-zstd release and my antivirus flagged it. Explain why this happens and how to verify the file is safe using the GitHub Actions build artifacts.

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