macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install ncompresslocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install ncompressMacPorts ports tree · archivers/ncompress/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew / rank 9155
Install ncompress with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix, pacman, zypper
Fast, simple LZW file compressor. Version 5.0 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install ncompress.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install ncompressDebian stable package indexes · ncompress · source: deb.debian.org
Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install ncompressFedora Rawhide package metadata · ncompress · source: dl.fedoraproject.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#ncompressnixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/nc/ncompress/package.nix · source: api.github.com
Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S ncompressArch Linux sync databases · ncompress · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install ncompressopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · ncompress · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
Fast, simple LZW file compressor
Project links
Commands and aliases
- compress
history
Project history and usage
ncompress packages the old Unix compress utility lineage: a fast, simple LZW compressor that produces .Z-style compressed files. Upstream is explicit about the tradeoff: compress is not the best compression ratio, but it is fast and historically became a de facto Unix standard.
Project history
The upstream history reconstructs compress from early Usenet-era releases: Spencer Thomas released compress 1.4 on net.sources on July 5, 1984, Joseph Orost released portable updates including 3.0 and 4.0 in 1985, and compress 4.0 was merged into BSD before 4.3BSD. The later ncompress name appears around Peter Jannesen's 4.2.x line in 1992, meant to reduce confusion among incompatible unofficial compress 4.x forks.
Adoption history
The project was shaped by LZW patent history: upstream says patent concerns effectively halted development after the 1985 LZW patent grant, while later patent expiration made the code patent-free worldwide by mid-2004. Mike Frysinger restarted maintenance in 2006 to unify distribution patches, moved the repository to GitHub in 2015, and began the 5.x series in 2020.
How it is used
Package users install ncompress when they need compatibility with .Z archives or old scripts that expect compress, uncompress, zcat-style behavior. It is maintenance infrastructure rather than a modern compression recommendation: gzip, bzip2, xz, and zstd normally win for new data, while ncompress is for historical archives and interoperability.
Why package nerds care
ncompress is package-nerd archaeology that still matters. It preserves a public-domain Unix file format path, keeps old compressed outputs readable, and documents a surprisingly tangled history of Usenet releases, BSD import, patent chill, downstream patch drift, and later consolidation.
Timeline
- July 5, 1984: compress 1.4 released on net.sources.
- January 3, 1985: compress 3.0 changes the compressed output format.
- August 1, 1985: compress 4.0 released, later becoming the foundation for many forks.
- September 1985: compress 4.0 merged into BSD before the 4.3BSD release.
- August-October 1992: ncompress 4.2.3 and 4.2.4 released.
- 2004: LZW counterpart patents expire worldwide.
- 2006: Mike Frysinger starts the ncompress maintenance project.
- 2021: ncompress 5.0 released.
Related projects
- compress, uncompress, gzip, LZW, BSD, historical .Z archives
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:compress
Install behavior
- No Homebrew bottle metadata was recorded.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
compress | executable | indexed executable | Discovered from the local executable index. |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-08-03
manager version5.0
manager updated
local dataunknown
upstreamnot available
latest detectednot detected
- okNo freshness warnings were generated.
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:ncompress |
|---|---|
| Version | 5.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Homepage | https://vapier.github.io/ncompress/ |
| Repository | https://github.com/vapier/ncompress |
| Bottle | not recorded |
| Service | none declared |
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
ncompress 5.0-3
original Lempel-Ziv compress/uncompress programs
https://github.com/vapier/ncompress
sudo apt install ncompress- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ncompress
Nix95%
ncompress
nix profile install nixpkgs#ncompress- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ncompress
Ubuntu apt95%
ncompress 5.0-1
original Lempel-Ziv compress/uncompress programs
https://github.com/vapier/ncompress
sudo apt install ncompress- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- 1 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ncompress
dnf95%
ncompress 5.0-12.fc45
Fast compression and decompression utilities
https://github.com/vapier/ncompress
sudo dnf install ncompress- License: Unlicense
- Category: Unspecified
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ncompress
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ncompress
pacman95%
ncompress 5.0-3
a fast, simple LZW file compressor
https://github.com/vapier/ncompress
sudo pacman -S ncompress- License: custom:PublicDomain
- Architecture: x86_64
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ncompress
zypper95%
ncompress 5.0-3.5
LZW compression and decompression utilities
https://github.com/vapier/ncompress
sudo zypper install ncompress- License: SUSE-Public-Domain
- Category: Productivity/Archiving/Compression
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: ncompress
- 2 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ncompress
MacPorts95%
ncompress
sudo port install ncompress- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Ncompress
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- pkg.so package database
- pkgdb category and tag curation