Data compression is a vital technique for reducing file sizes, which optimizes storage and network transfers by saving disk space and bandwidth. In Linux systems, the gzip algorithm—using the .gz file extension—is a common tool for lossless compression, ensuring that no data is lost during compression or decompression. While compressing large files often yields significant size reductions, smaller files may not benefit due to metadata overhead. Go’s standard library provides robust support for file compression and decompression, particularly through the compress/gzip package, which leverages io.Reader and io.Writer interfaces for flexible data handling. Implementing CLI tools in Go to compress and decompress files involves opening input/output files, utilizing gzip’s Writer and Reader types, and handling error cases such as incorrect file extensions or potential issues like zip bombs in untrusted inputs. Practical enhancements—like customizable output file names, size limits to prevent resource exhaustion, and control over whether to keep or remove originals—can further improve such tools for real-world use.