ncompress ☆
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Description:
Fast, simple LZW file compressor
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: System utilities
Tags: compression lzw utilities archiving file-system
Install: brew install ncompress
About:
Ncompress is a fast and simple implementation of the LZW compression algorithm, designed as a lightweight alternative to the classic Unix compress utility. It efficiently reduces file sizes while maintaining high decompression speeds, making it ideal for legacy systems and embedded environments. The tool provides a straightforward command-line interface for compressing and decompressing files.
Key Features:
  • LZW compression algorithm implementation
  • High performance and low memory footprint
  • Compatibility with traditional Unix compress format
  • Simple command-line interface
Use Cases:
  • Compressing log files and data archives on resource-constrained systems
  • Migrating legacy compressed data to modern systems
  • Quick file compression tasks where gzip is overkill
Alternatives:
  • gzip – More widely used with better compression ratios but larger overhead
  • bzip2 – Higher compression ratios at the cost of speed and memory usage
  • xz – Modern compression with excellent ratios but slower performance
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 16, 2025 4:53pm 0 VERSION_BUMP af19a468
Jan 9, 2024 7:38pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 6098fbbd
Nov 25, 2022 11:26pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 32e67535
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