How to Install Zstd on Ubuntu: Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide

Zstandard (zstd) is a fast compression algorithm widely used for compressing files and data efficiently. Installing zstd on Ubuntu allows you to compress and decompress files quickly, saving disk space and speeding up file transfers. This guide will walk you through installing zstd on Ubuntu, even if you’re new to Linux or command-line tools.

What You’ll Need

• An Ubuntu system (desktop or server) with internet access
• Basic familiarity with the Terminal or command line interface
• A user account with sudo privileges to install software

Step-by-Step

1. Open the Terminal: You can open it by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or searching for “Terminal” in your applications menu.
2. Update your package list: Before installing new software, update Ubuntu’s package index to ensure you get the latest version.

   sudo apt update

3. Install zstd: Use the package manager to install the zstd utility.

   sudo apt install zstd

   > This command downloads and installs zstd and its dependencies.

4. Verify the installation: Check that zstd is installed and accessible by running:

   zstd --version

   > You should see the version number printed, confirming the installation.
5. Try compressing a file: Create a test file or use an existing one. For example, create a sample text file:

   echo "This is a test file for zstd compression." > testfile.txt

   > Now compress it:

   zstd testfile.txt

   > This creates a compressed file named testfile.txt.zst.

6. Decompress the file: To restore the original file, run:

   zstd -d testfile.txt.zst

   > This decompresses the file back to testfile.txt.

7. Explore additional options: You can check all available commands and flags by running:

   zstd --help

   > This displays usage information and compression levels.

Common Mistakes

• Not running sudo apt update first: Skipping this step might cause the system to install an outdated version or fail to find the package.
• Typing the command incorrectly: The command is zstd, not zst or zstdc. Misspelling will cause “command not found” errors.
• Assuming compression overwrites original files: By default, zstd keeps the original file and creates a new compressed file with .zst extension.
• Forgetting to decompress files before use: Compressed files need to be decompressed before opening or editing unless the software supports zstd natively.
• Trying to install without sudo: Installation requires administrative privileges. Running apt install without sudo will fail.

Tips

• Use compression levels: zstd supports compression levels from 1 (fastest) to 22 (highest compression). For example, zstd -10 file.txt compresses at level 10 balancing speed and size.
• Compress directories: zstd compresses single files. To compress folders, combine it with tar:

  tar -I zstd -cf archive.tar.zst foldername/

• Use multithreading: For faster compression on multi-core CPUs, use the -T# option where # is the number of threads.

  zstd -T4 file.txt

• Check file integrity: zstd compressed files include checksums, but you can manually verify using zstd -t file.zst.
• Uninstall if needed: If you want to remove zstd later, run:

  sudo apt remove zstd

Troubleshooting

• Command not found after installation: Ensure the installation completed successfully. Run sudo apt install zstd again to check. If it still fails, verify your PATH environment variable includes /usr/bin.
• Package not found error: This usually means your package list is outdated or your Ubuntu version is very old. Run sudo apt update first. If your Ubuntu version is unsupported, consider upgrading or downloading zstd manually from its GitHub repository.
• Permission denied errors: Make sure you are using sudo when installing. For compressing/decompressing, ensure you have read/write permissions on the files.
• Compression or decompression is very slow: Try using fewer compression levels (e.g., -1 or -3) or enable multithreading with -T. Also, check system load or disk health.
• Corrupted compressed files: If decompression fails, the compressed file may be incomplete or corrupted. Try re-compressing or obtaining a new copy of the file.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is zstd used for?

zstd is a fast compression utility used to reduce file sizes for storage or faster transfers. It balances speed and compression ratio better than many traditional algorithms.

Is zstd better than gzip or bzip2?

Generally, yes. zstd offers faster compression and decompression speeds with comparable or better compression ratios compared to gzip and bzip2, making it popular for many applications.

Can I compress multiple files or folders with zstd?

zstd compresses single files. To compress multiple files or folders, first create a tar archive and then compress it with zstd, e.g., tar -I zstd -cf archive.tar.zst folder/.

How do I decompress a zstd file?

Use zstd -d filename.zst or the shorthand unzstd filename.zst to decompress files back to their original form.

Is zstd supported on all Ubuntu versions?

zstd is included in Ubuntu repositories starting from Ubuntu 18.04 LTS. For earlier versions, you may need to build from source or upgrade your system.

Can I use zstd for system backups?

Yes, many backup tools support zstd compression because of its speed. Using zstd with tar is a common way to create compressed backup archives.

Installing zstd on Ubuntu is straightforward and provides a powerful tool to handle file compression efficiently. Whether you want to save disk space, speed up backups, or transfer files faster, zstd is a great choice. With this guide, you can confidently install, use, and troubleshoot zstd on your Ubuntu system.

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