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Written 30 Aug 2026. This is a how-to, not a product card.

Pack files into a zip a laptop can open

After SSH works, pack files into a zip with zip so a Windows laptop can open them. You don't need a zip desktop app for this.

See how big one folder is showed size. Unpack a zip you already have unpacked a zip. Pack files into one archive packed an archive Linux tools expect. Shrink one file shrunk one file to .gz. Tonight you make one: a .zip a laptop can open without tar. You are still only practicing in home on the computer. It does not need a zip desktop app, WinZip, 7-Zip, FileZilla, or a NAS for this one job.

Skip until SSH already works

SSH from the couch should already get you a prompt. If you only need to unpack a zip you already have, that is unpack a zip you already have. If you only need a Linux archive, that is pack files into one archive. If you only need to shrink one file, that is shrink one file. Skip this whole note if you only need a house share other computers browse. That is a folder the house can open. Skip if you need a USB copy of the house folder. That is a backup of the house folder.

What this is

zip means pack files into a .zip. You type zip, then -r, then a zip path, then a folder in home. Tonight: zip -r of one small folder in home. -r means recursive, so the folder's files go in. Practice from home so the zip stores zip-me/hi.txt, not a long /home/... path. unzip -l lists names without unpacking. That list command already lives on unpack a zip you already have; using it here is fine. It is not unpack. That is unpack a zip you already have. It is not tar. That is pack files into one archive. It is not gzip. That is shrink one file. It is not split. That is split a file into smaller pieces. It is not size of one folder. That is see how big one folder is. It is not a zip desktop app, WinZip, 7-Zip, FileZilla, or a NAS.

Pack a practice folder in home

SSH in. Make sure home is where you sit:

pwd

You want a path that ends in your login name. If not:

cd ~

Make a tiny practice folder in home only:

mkdir -p ~/zip-me

echo hello > ~/zip-me/hi.txt

Sit in home, then pack a relative folder name. Don't pack a long /home/... path:

cd ~

zip -r ~/zip-me.zip zip-me

List names. Don't unpack yet:

unzip -l ~/zip-me.zip

You want zip-me/hi.txt in that list.

Skip zip without -r when the thing is a folder. That stores only the empty folder name, not the files inside.

Skip zip /, zip /etc, and zip of whole home for this practice. Tonight: one small folder in home.

If zip or unzip says command not found, install both, then try again:

sudo apt install zip unzip

Debian and Ubuntu often don't ship zip by default. That install is not a reason to buy a zip app.

If zip says zip error: Nothing to do, you are not in home or the practice folder is missing. pwd, then cd ~, then pack zip-me again.

When you are done practicing, throw away the practice files. Careful delete only. That is delete a file carefully:

rm -i ~/zip-me/hi.txt

rm -i ~/zip-me.zip

Delete practice folders the same careful way after they are empty. Skip rm -rf.

Useful extras, still home only

Want the zip to store only the file name, not the folder path?

zip -j ~/hi.zip ~/zip-me/hi.txt

-j means junk paths. The zip stores only hi.txt. Clean that extra zip up the same careful way:

rm -i ~/hi.zip

Want a size of the folder next to the zip, using the size note you just did?

du -sh ~/zip-me ~/zip-me.zip

That look is see how big one folder is. It is not tonight's job. It is a useful extra after you already packed.

Skip zip -e encryption, zip -P, and --remove-files for this practice. Encryption and a password on the command line are later. --remove-files is a tar flag. Zip's close cousin is zip -m, which deletes after packing. Tonight you keep the practice folder.

Skip zip of huge photo libraries as tonight's lesson. Tonight: one small folder in home.

Skip tar, gzip, 7z, rar, bzip2, xz, and zstd as tonight's lesson. Unpack of a zip you already have is unpack a zip you already have.

Skip files under /etc, SSH folders, other disks, USB sticks, and /srv as tonight's lesson. Practice only in home.

Skip buying WinZip, 7-Zip, or a zip desktop app. zip -r is enough for this pack.

What this is not

This is not unpack of a zip you already have. That is unpack a zip you already have. It is not a Linux archive. That is pack files into one archive. It is not shrink of one file to .gz. That is shrink one file. It is not split. That is split a file into smaller pieces. It is not size of one folder. That is see how big one folder is. It is not a nested drawing. That is see folders as a tree. It is not a copy from your laptop. That is copy a file to the computer from your laptop. It is not a careful delete. That is delete a file carefully. It is not a USB backup. That is a backup of the house folder. It is not a house share other computers browse. That is a folder the house can open. It is not a zip desktop app, WinZip, 7-Zip, FileZilla, or a NAS. It is not opening SSH to the internet so you can pack files from a coffee shop. That is keep the computer on the house network. Don't forward port 22.

What next

Need to unpack a zip you already have? Unpack a zip you already have. Need a Linux archive instead? Pack files into one archive. Need to shrink one file to .gz? Shrink one file. Need folder size first? See how big one folder is. Need size (or clock) to update by itself? See change without typing again. Need nested folders as a drawing? See folders as a tree. Need the throwaway gone for real? Delete a file carefully. Keep SSH on the house network: keep the computer on the house network. Don't forward port 22.

Skip

Sources

Debian: zip. Ubuntu: zip. For the list flag, Debian: unzip. Ubuntu: unzip. Official pages only. For the login, see SSH from the couch. For unpack, see unpack a zip you already have. For a Linux archive, see pack files into one archive. For folder size, see see how big one folder is.

Also on this topic

SSH from the couchType commands on the computer from your laptop, on the house network. Password login first. Don't open this to the internet. See how big one folder isAfter SSH works, check how big one folder is with du so you know before you copy or delete. You don't need a file manager for this. See change without typing againAfter SSH works, re-run a command with watch so you see change without typing again. You don't need a monitoring app for this. Unpack a zip you already haveAfter SSH works, unpack a zip with unzip so files come out of a zip. You don't need a zip desktop app for this. Pack files into one archiveAfter SSH works, pack files into one archive with tar so you can copy one file instead of a folder. You don't need a zip app for this. Shrink one fileAfter SSH works, shrink one file with gzip so a copy is smaller. You don't need a zip app for this. See folders as a treeAfter SSH works, show nested folders with tree so you can see what is inside without clicking around. You don't need a file manager for this. Copy a file to the computer from your laptopAfter SSH works, use scp to move one file without a USB stick. You don't need a NAS for this. Delete a file carefullyAfter SSH works, delete one file with rm -i. Ask first. Skip rm -rf. You don't need a NAS for this. Turn off password login once the key worksAfter the laptop key login is boring, tell SSH to stop accepting the password. The key is how you get in. A keyboard on the computer is the backup now. Keep the computer on the house networkSSH and Pi-hole belong on the house network. Skip this if you never opened the router settings. Don't forward port 22.