https://github.com/facebook/zstd/ is another compression format with highly tunable compression format that highly desirable performance characteristics. It would be nice if it were supported locally without having to specify an external compressor, when we are able to easily do so.

Notes that come to mind:

• zstd in python3 requires external library bindings
• On top of that zstd in zip files is not immediately supported without changes to the standard library
• pkg_tar (and thus pkg_deb) can rely on an external compressor
• pkg_rpm can compress with zstd by passing binary_payload_compression = "w$LEVEL.zstdio, where $LEVEL is a numeric compression level. This requires zstd support in the local rpmbuild binary.
• pkg_deb is kinda up in the air: the Debian package format does not appear to support zstd yet, but apparently ubuntu is already using it. See also https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Ubuntu-21.10-Zstd-Debs, https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=892664.