Zip excluding specific directories and files

zip-excluding-specific-directories-and-files.md

Zip excluding specific directories

Exclude .git file and node_modules directory

$ zip -r9 [target_file] [source_file] -x *.git* node_modules/\*

Exclude .git file and files in node_modules directory, but keep node_modules directory

$ zip -r9 [target_file] [source_file] -x *.git* node_modules/**\*

Number parameter means degree of compression. -9 is the most optimal but the slowest compression. If -0 is given, there will be no compression. Default level is -6.

** means to adapt exclusions recursively inner directories. \* is an escaped wildcard to avoid path expansion.

slightly modified to backup all my projects in www dir
$ zip -r www.zip www -x *.git* */node_modules/**\*

When it says no matches found: *.git*. Excludes the whole .git folder for the subdirectory. zip -r9 zipfile.zip directory -x directory/.git/\* directory/node_modules/\*

@se468 thanks for the info, couldn't figure out why I was getting that error. For my specific case I zipped a folder containing multiple subfolders that contained node_modules and used the following command

zip -r output.zip directory -x \*\*/\*/node_modules/\*

I think this might help me in what I am trying to do, I just dont understand how to use it.

this really helps thanks!

Thanks it works!!

not work ???

forme this is the work
zip -r dockerexpress dockerexpress -x 'node_modules/*'