PACKAGE.md 1.3 KB

Zlib 1.3.1

Zlib is a massively used software library written in C that implements the deflate compression method found in gzip and PKZIP. It is designed to be a free, general-purpose, legally unencumbered lossless data-compression library for use on virtually any computer hardware and operating system.

Features

  • Provides in-memory compression and decompression functions
  • Implements the deflate compression algorithm used in gzip and PKZIP
  • Includes integrity checking of the uncompressed data
  • Portable across different platforms and architectures
  • Thread-safe when used with appropriate precautions
  • Designed for minimal memory footprint

Common Applications

Zlib is used by numerous software applications and systems including:

  • File compression utilities
  • Network protocols (HTTP compression)
  • Database systems
  • Graphics file formats (PNG)
  • Software distribution systems
  • Virtualization platforms

Technical Details

This package provides the shared library libz.so which contains the compression and decompression functions. The library follows the standard C calling conventions and provides a simple API for integrating compression capabilities into applications.

The zlib library is distributed under a permissive license that allows its use in both open-source and proprietary software without licensing restrictions.