pylzss
A Python library for decoding/encoding LZSS-compressed data.
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes, if you specifically need LZSS codec support. The package is stable, dependency-free, and carries no known vulnerabilities. Install friction is moderate due to compiled wheels, but prebuilt binaries are available for common platforms. However, this is a narrow-use library; install only if you are working with LZSS-compressed data or legacy formats that require it. For general-purpose compression, use zlib, brotli, or other modern alternatives.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.8 or later; precompiled wheels are available for common platforms but source builds may require a C compiler.
- Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; the package is dormant (last release May 2024, last commit December 2024) with minimal maintenance activity, though it carries no known vulnerabilities and supports Python 3.8 and later across multiple platforms.
License · maintenance · safety
LGPL-3.0-only (copyleft) — LGPL-3.0-only is a copyleft license; you may use and modify pylzss freely, but any derivative work must also be licensed under LGPL-3.0 and source code must be made available to users.
last release 2024-05-09 (827 days) · last repo commit 2024-12-21 · 5 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 331,876 downloads/mo, #7,510 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install pylzss
import pylzss
compressed_data = b'...'
decompressed = pylzss.decompress(compressed_data)- Whether the package's LZSS implementation matches a specific variant or standard (e.g., Nintendo LZSS, original algorithm parameters).
- Performance characteristics (speed, memory usage) compared to other LZSS implementations or general-purpose compression libraries.
- Real-world use cases beyond legacy format support—whether active projects depend on this package.
What it is and what it does
pylzss is a Python binding for LZSS compression and decompression. LZSS is a dictionary-based lossless compression algorithm that replaces repeated byte sequences with references to earlier occurrences. The package provides encode and decode functions to work with LZSS-compressed data, making it useful for handling legacy file formats, embedded system data, or any application that needs to read or write LZSS-encoded streams.
The library has no runtime dependencies and is distributed as precompiled wheels for Python 3.8+ across Linux, macOS, and Windows architectures. Maintenance is minimal but stable; the repository is not archived and carries no known security vulnerabilities. The package occupies a narrow niche—it is not a general-purpose compression tool but rather a specialized codec for a specific algorithm.
Use it for
- Decompress legacy game ROM or firmware data that uses LZSS compression.
- Read or write LZSS-compressed streams in embedded system communication protocols.
- Integrate LZSS codec support into data analysis or forensics tools for proprietary formats.
- Encode data for compatibility with systems or devices that only understand LZSS.
- Migrate or preserve historical data archives that rely on LZSS compression.
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes, if you specifically need LZSS codec support.
The package is stable, dependency-free, and carries no known vulnerabilities. Install friction is moderate due to compiled wheels, but prebuilt binaries are available for common platforms. However, this is a narrow-use library; install only if you are working with LZSS-compressed data or legacy formats that require it. For general-purpose compression, use zlib, brotli, or other modern alternatives.
Install
pylzss on PyPI
Before you install
Medium install friction due to compiled wheels; the package is dormant (last release May 2024, last commit December 2024) with minimal maintenance activity, though it carries no known vulnerabilities and supports Python 3.8 and later across multiple platforms.
Requires Python 3.8 or later; precompiled wheels are available for common platforms but source builds may require a C compiler.
License in practice
LGPL-3.0-only is a copyleft license; you may use and modify pylzss freely, but any derivative work must also be licensed under LGPL-3.0 and source code must be made available to users.
Quickstart
pip install pylzss
import pylzss
compressed_data = b'...'
decompressed = pylzss.decompress(compressed_data)Verify before relying
- Whether the package's LZSS implementation matches a specific variant or standard (e.g., Nintendo LZSS, original algorithm parameters).
- Performance characteristics (speed, memory usage) compared to other LZSS implementations or general-purpose compression libraries.
- Real-world use cases beyond legacy format support—whether active projects depend on this package.
Package facts
| License | LGPL-3.0-only copyleft |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.8 |
| Install friction | Medium. Platform-specific wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | None |
| Maintenance | Dormant 827 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 331,876 / month, #7,510 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
Evidence: pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux2014_aarch64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-manylinux_2_5_x86_64.manylinux1_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_1_aarch64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_1_i686.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-musllinux_1_1_x86_64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-win32.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp310-cp310-win_amd64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-macosx_10_9_x86_64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-macosx_11_0_arm64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_17_aarch64.manylinux2014_aarch64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_5_i686.manylinux1_i686.manylinux_2_17_i686.manylinux2014_i686.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-manylinux_2_5_x86_64.manylinux1_x86_64.manylinux_2_17_x86_64.manylinux2014_x86_64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_1_aarch64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_1_i686.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-musllinux_1_1_x86_64.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-win32.whl; pylzss-0.3.8-cp311-cp311-win_amd64.whl
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