[net.micro.mac] Don't use PackitIII

bradn@tekig4.UUCP (Bradford Needham) (09/13/86)

Please don't post stuff in packitIII format.  The existing BinHex protocol
is sufficient for sending Mac binaries.

BinHex is free and has become the de facto standard for encoding Mac binary
files.  Packit, on the other hand, is $15 shareware and is used by only a
handful of people on the net.

The Packit use discussion appeared once before, when version II of packit
appeared on the net.  From the small number of PackitII postings since then
it seems that net folks have agreed that BinHex encoding is the only way to go.


Brad Needham
...decvax!tektronix!tekig4!bradn

jimb@amdcad.UUCP (Jim Budler) (09/14/86)

+---------------
| In article <932@tekig4.UUCP> bradn@tekig4.UUCP (Bradford Needham) writes:
| Please don't post stuff in packitIII format.  The existing BinHex protocol
| is sufficient for sending Mac binaries.
| 
| BinHex is free and has become the de facto standard for encoding Mac binary
| files.  Packit, on the other hand, is $15 shareware and is used by only a
| handful of people on the net.
+---------------

PackitI is also free. PackitII IS shareware and PackitIII is also shareware.
However, UNPACKING packit I, II and III* files is also free
because of three programs available free. These are unix unpit and the
mac implementation of it, distributed in net.sources.mac, and a program called
unpacker, for the mac, which can unpack but not pack packit files. It appears
to me that unpacker was distributed by Harry Chesley.

* Note:
Unpacking PackitIII files follows the same rules, since the difference
between Packit III and Packit II is an encryption option. Anyone who
posted an encrypted file for public consumption would be rather stupid.
The compression scheme is the same on Packit III as it was on Packit II.
+---------------
| The Packit use discussion appeared once before, when version II of packit
| appeared on the net.  From the small number of PackitII postings since then
| it seems that net folks have agreed that BinHex encoding is the only way to go.
+---------------

So the arguements concerning the shareware status of Packit don't effect the
use of it on the network. Now whether it serves any true need is another
issue entirely.
-- 
 Jim Budler
 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
 (408) 749-5806
 Usenet: {ucbvax,decwrl,ihnp4,allegra,intelca}!amdcad!jimb
 Compuserve:	72415,1200

I got tired of my old signature.

jeanne@reed.UUCP (Jeanne DeVoto) (09/14/86)

In article <932@tekig4.UUCP> bradn@tekig4.UUCP (Bradford Needham) writes:
>Please don't post stuff in packitIII format.  The existing BinHex protocol
>is sufficient for sending Mac binaries.
>BinHex is free and has become the de facto standard for encoding Mac binary
>files.  Packit, on the other hand, is $15 shareware and is used by only a
>handful of people on the net.

A clarification seems in order:
1) PackIt in its original form was not a hex/binary encoder/decoder like
   BinHex.  What it is, is a way of combining multiple files into a single
   file.  This is quite convenient for postings of applications which
   require support files, documentation files, etc...You only have to type
   "macput" once, for instance. PackIt and BinHex have nothing to do with
   each other and are not mutually exclusive.
2) PackIt II, in addition to the file combine/uncombine above, added a
   compression feature.  PackIt III has, in addition, encryption available.
3) PackIt II/III is, as Bradford notes, $15 shareware, and hence it is not
   suitable to post things that require versions II or III to uncode.
   In fact, in the "About..." box, the author warns against posting files
   using encryption/compression to public access systems.  However, PackIt I
   is *free* and will uncombine files combined using any version (as long as
   encrytion and compression were not used).

To sum up: if you wanna post binaries,
	1) BinHex them, and then
	2) If your application needs several files, run them through PackIt
	   *without* compression or encryption for your convenience in
	   uploading and the convenience of others in downloading.
-- 
jeanne a. e. devoto           |    "The mind is an infinite resource...but
...!tektronix!reed!jeanne     |     only if you don't squander it.  Doesn't
USsnail: 5353 SE 28th #38     |     that make an interesting paradox?"
         Portland, OR 97202   |          James Hogan, "Voyage From Yesteryear"

barmar@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU (Barry Margolin) (09/14/86)

In article <932@tekig4.UUCP> bradn@tekig4.UUCP (Bradford Needham) writes:
>Please don't post stuff in packitIII format.  The existing BinHex protocol
>is sufficient for sending Mac binaries.

You seem to be confused about the relationship between PackIt and
BinHex.  PackIt does NOT implement an encoding scheme, as BinHex does.
It provides a way to compress and package multiple Mac files into one
file.  After packing, the resulting file must still be hexified so that
it may be transfered easily (i.e. as a text file).  PackIt and BinHex
work very well together, providing important but othogonal functions.

I believe that in the past, the general rule for use of PackIt has been
to only upload PackIt I files, not PackIt II or PackIt III, because the
later versions are not free; users who try to download PackItII/III
files would be required to pay.  I think the difference is that version
I had no compression or encryption.

I haven't seen the program on the net, but someone mentioned that there
is a free program that unpacks PackIt II files.  If this were posted,
then the above rule could be relaxed.
-- 
    Barry Margolin
    ARPA: barmar@MIT-Multics
    UUCP: ..!genrad!mit-eddie!barmar

phil@sivax.UUCP (Phil Hunt) (09/15/86)

Hello, If you do not want to pay for PackitII or III, there is a PD program
called unpit 0.39, out there that will unpack packit II files.

Phil Hunt
..calma!sivax!phil

werner@ut-ngp.UUCP (Werner Uhrig) (09/17/86)

> To sum up: if you wanna post binaries,
>         1) BinHex them, and then
>         2) If your application needs several files, run them through PackIt
>            *without* compression or encryption for your convenience in
>            uploading and the convenience of others in downloading.
 
as others have pointed out already, there is PD-program which unpacks compressed
(but not encrypted) files created with PackIt-II and III.

so, if you can get yourself to pay the ShareWare-cost (sooner or later),
it seems most desirable to

	1) use PackIt-2/3 to compress single or multiple files
	2) binhex the resulting compressed file.

your postings will be about 20% smaller and save the net money.

mlr0@bunny.UUCP (Martin Resnick) (09/18/86)

> | BinHex is free and has become the de facto standard for encoding Mac binary
> | files.  Packit, on the other hand, is $15 shareware and is used by only a
> | handful of people on the net.
> +---------------
> 

The MacBinary version of Binhex (V5) is not free, it is shareware.


> PackitI is also free. PackitII IS shareware and PackitIII is also shareware.
> However, UNPACKING packit I, II and III* files is also free
> because of three programs available free. These are unix unpit and the
> mac implementation of it, distributed in net.sources.mac, and a program called
> unpacker, for the mac, which can unpack but not pack packit files. It appears
> to me that unpacker was distributed by Harry Chesley.

Unpacker was written by Don Brown of CE Software for MAUG on CompuServe.