Format marked as BZ2 is compression file format used mainly in OS based on Linux. Creator of this file format is Julian Seward. Its main advantage is that it can use better compression ratio, but the price is that it works slower according to ZIP or GZ. This file type divides certain file into parts and then it compress them separately.
First version was not so stable but it was released in 1996 and it was carrying label 0.15. With higher popularity was this file format more and more modified and upgraded until 2000 when it got its full version, which was v1.0. Its latest version was 1.0.5 and it was released on 17th March, 2008. Its older version was file format known as BZ, which must have been revised due to patent protections on type of coding, which was used.
Today there can be plenty of programs used. They can handle these files and that´s due this file format is very popular. We can mention program 7 – Zip, which is for free and it has no problems with viewing, modifying and creating of these files. Next program which we can mention is WinZip. Even it can easily work with these files. We recommend using of 7 – Zip that is for free and it can easily open, modify and create these files saved in BZ2 file format.