Gzip

Cool thanks guys, but the reason I think I needed to use gzip was that when uncompressing within ESX linux, It has gzip built in I think. Unless gzip can decompress zip?

And whats wrong with concantaining the files? I just need them both compressed into one file and uncompress back into two files. This wouldn't cause an issue with the data would it?

gzip -c file > file2.txt didn't work . I'm using gzip if that makes a difference.

Closing

Windows gzip should be no different to Linux gzip. But do you have Windows tar?
"whats wrong with concantaining the files?" - nothing, as long as you realise that gunzip will give you one concatenated file rather than the 2 files you started with. It will not resolve back yo 2 files, which looks like what you hoped for.
Odd that gzip -c file > file2.txt didn't work. Does it work if you do gzip -c file > file2.gz? (you can compare with the file you get from simply gzip file - that will make file.gz). Microsoft did try to implement unix constructs (like ">") in CMD.EXE but I don't know how good that implementation is. They might be inserting Cr before Lf for instance, especially to a .txt file.

The gzip -c file > file2.txt didn't work most likely because the file2.txt existed already.
If you read the first reply carefully, then you would notice that the lines include a double angle bracket: >>
This says "append to the existing file."

All versions of Linux come with gzip and tar, and the commands:

tar -czvf file.tgz file1.txt file2.txt

will put the two files into an archive and compress that archive using gzip. Which you intended. To unpack the whole thing and get two files back you use:

tar -czvf tile.tgz

Both files will come back as separate files. The first suggested method will return a single concatenated file.

Most versions of Linux will come with "zip" pre-installed as well, which may be the preferred method to use if you would want to use Windows to unpack the files. There are versions of "tar" as well that work on Windows (see http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/gtar.htm). Zip and tar (and gzip) also come standard on Mac's.  

This really is what you asked for. I don't understand why you are closing.

Tach,

I accepted multiple solutons and for some reason it asked to close. I'm confused too.

I will try and award points again. Very helpfull answers everyone. I feel like a pro now.

Thanks again.

Cool, you can concatenate gzips. I didn't know that before. But when you unzip, you get a single file which is the 2 original files concatenated, not really what was asked for.
snyderkv: I wouldn't worry about changing the points :)

10:40:27$ cat file1
This is file 1
10:42:37$ cat file2
This is file 2
10:46:29$ gzip -c file1 >bothfiles.gz
10:46:46$ gzip -c file2 >>bothfiles.gz
10:47:21$ ls -l
total 12
-rw-r--r-- 1 dunc users 78 Sep 19 10:47 bothfiles.gz
-rw-r--r-- 1 dunc users 15 Sep 19 10:40 file1
-rw-r--r-- 1 dunc users 15 Sep 19 10:40 file2
10:47:25$ rm file1 file2
10:47:55$ gunzip bothfiles.gz 
10:48:03$ ls -l
total 4
-rw-r--r-- 1 dunc users 30 Sep 19 10:47 bothfiles
10:48:07$ cat bothfiles 
This is file 1
This is file 2
10:48:14$ 

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Sorry it's not for me to suggest you don't change points. Tachion had the first correct answer - all I did was explain why it was correct.
I have posted this as an objection so you can re-assign as you wish.

Moderator - apologies for the noise

Excuse me - woolmilkporc's comment is wrong. You can't accept that. snyderkv said he would try to award points again - so give him some time.

snyderkv: please at least post how you would like the points allocated - even if you don't actually do it.

Taking the question literally my answer is not wrong.

Who said it was wrong?

Who said it was wrong? I tried splitting the points evenly. Someone may have objected. I don't know