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TexasOasis's avatar
TexasOasis
Iron Contributor
Apr 10, 2025

How can I open 7-zip file on macOS?

Hello everyone, I used to use Windows and was used to using 7-Zip to process various compressed files, especially the .7z format, which was really convenient. But now I have switched to macOS, and I ...
BodieFrostfield's avatar
BodieFrostfield
Iron Contributor
Apr 10, 2025

The free command line tool p7zip, which is a command-line port of the 7-Zip file archiver for Unix-like systems, including macOS and Linux. It provides high compression ratios (especially using the .7z format) and supports many archive formats.

Key Features of p7zip

  1. Support Multiple Formats: .7z, .zip, .rar, .tar, .gz, .bz2, .xz, and more.
  2. High Compression Ratio: The LZMA and LZMA2 algorithms (used in .7z) often outperform .zip in compression efficiency.
  3. Command-Line Based: Works in Terminal, making it ideal for scripting and automation.
  4. Open-Source & Free: Licensed under the GNU LGPL, so it’s free to use and modify.

 

You can now use the following command to open 7-zip file on mac:

7z x filename.7z

Using p7zip in Terminal is a powerful way to handle .7z files, especially for automation or scripting. If you prefer a GUI, FossZip is much more simpler alternative.

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