How to Decompress UNIX .Z Files on iPhone

Uppercase .Z is the traditional UNIX compress format based on LZW. A file such as manual.txt.Z normally decodes to one file; backup.tar.Z contains a TAR after decompression. Fileso supports the implemented block-mode LZW stream and opens an inner TAR when present.

Extract .z in Fileso

1. Save the compressed file in Fileso with its full filename and extension.
2. Tap it and choose Extract. Use Extract to Folder if you need a different destination; View prepares a temporary extracted copy for inspection.
3. Wait for decoding to finish. A simple compressed stream may produce one file, while an inner TAR or CPIO produces multiple entries.
4. Open a resulting file and check its size and type before discarding the compressed source.

Keep the uppercase suffix when transferring old archives so you can recognize their origin. Extract into an empty folder and compare the result with any manifest supplied by the archive owner.

If extraction fails

Some rare non-block or unusual checkpoint streams are outside the current decoder. A lower-case .z route in Fileso does not make every historical .Z variant compatible. If a legacy file fails, obtain a conversion from the system that created it.

Common question

Is .Z the same as .zip? No. UNIX compress .Z is an LZW stream; ZIP is a multi-entry archive format.

Read: How to Extract TAR Files on iPhone.