Windows PowerShell Expand-Archive file equivalent in Linux
Extracts a zip archive.
PowerShell Expand-Archive file
unzip archive.zip
unzip archive.zip
unzip archive.zip
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Expand-Archive file" is used to extract zip archive. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "unzip archive.zip". Extracts a zip archive. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Archives.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Expand-Archive file maps to unzip archive.zip for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Extract zip archive
Extracts a zip archive.
unzip archive.zip
Extract zip archive
unzip --help
Show command help when supported
man unzip
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
unzip archive.zip
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: PowerShell Expand-Archive file
unzip archive.zipReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
unzip archive.zip | Extract zip archive |
unzip --help | Show command help when supported |
man unzip | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "unzip archive.zip" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | unzip archive.zip |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | unzip archive.zip |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | unzip archive.zip |
Same command on this distribution. |
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