authorplaceholder@gorgo.UUCP.UUCP (04/07/87)
/* Written 1:43 am Apr 4, 1987 by Susan_Kay_Trapne@cup.portal.com.UUCP in gorgo.UUCP:comp.sy.ibm.pc */
/* ---------- "RE: Numerous requests for ARC.EXE" ---------- */
Regarding the various postings in comp.sys.ibm.pc for information
on "how to obtain" ... "latest version"...of ARC.EXE, etc...
I'm using Version 5.1 which I obtained from PC Magazine Interactive
Reader Service, PC-IRS, along with a few other useful things.
Their number i(212) 696-0360, 1200/300, 8,1,n. Registry is required,
the board is free, you pay for the phone call.
After much procrastination, I finally "unarc'd" the arcdoc.arc file
that I downloded at the same time. It goes into extensive detail,
30 pages worth, including "Program Update Service" for latest releases.
Susan Trapnell
(susan_trapnell@cup.portal.com)
/* End of text from gorgo.UUCP:comp.sy.ibm.pc */
Do note that version 5.1 is fairly obsolete, and may not be able to unpack many
archives created with newer versions. The latest is 5.13, released several
weeks ago. I don't know what the enhancements are (I don't use ARC anymore)
but I hear it's pretty slick.
What I use instead of ARC is PKARC/PKXARC, two programs that replace ARC.
PKARC makes archives that are compatible with ARC, but does it approx 5 times
faster. Likewise, PKXARC breaks them out, and is also a WHOLE LOT faster. If
you've ever sipped a whole cup of coffee while waiting for ARC to build a
really big file, you'll really be able to appreciate the difference in speed.
These two programs (also the newest version of ARC) come in a self-unpacking
.COM file. Run it, and the .EXE's pop out. Since the exact size of those files
can be had (from the author, or wherever), you can tell before you unpack it
whether you have a trojan or the real thing.
Also in the running to become a standard in the field of archivers is ZOO. It
is much faster than ARC, and as an added bonus, allows you to put comments
in the header, within the ARC (PKARC does it too, but I believe that may make
the file incompatible with ARC). ZOO files are not ARC compatible.
What makes ZOO important is that it is completely public domain, and that the
author has released source code (in C) that is #ifdef'd for UNIX, MSDOS, MAC,
CP/M, XENIX, and other DOS's. ARC is *not* PD, and the original code from SEA
contained their funky "macro" language; you could get the code from them on
disk for a mere $20, but there was enough of their proprietary "macro"
nonsense in it to be a real pain... And they wanted $100 for the converter.
The new version of ARC will probably make archives that cannot be unpacked
with the older versions (as usual) which makes all that lovely code that's
been here on the net eventually become obsolete. ZOO's author is dead set
against that sort of thing.
PKARC, PKXARC, ZOO, ZOO source, ARC v5.13, and ARC v5.12 source, are all
available from:
SOURCEry System bbs
[405] 728-2463
FidoNet: 19/0
Registration requested; no fee. First-time callers can download. Don't call
during Fido mail hours (2:00am to 6:30am on this system). You'll find other
useful utils there, too, like a pd lex that is fully compat with the UNIX
version, and GNU BISON (minus docs- anybody have those???).
If you call and leave a message to sysop, PLEASE also leave your net address
so we can get back to you!
David Drexler
ddrex@gorgo.UUCP
Mandatory disclaimer: gorgo is not SOURCEry, SOURCEry is not gorgo. Gorgo is
not a Fido/Usenet gateway. Gorgo will never be a Fido/Usenet gateway. w8sdz@brl-smoke.ARPA (Keith B. Petersen ) (04/09/87)
ARC513 is a trojan horse. The latest version of SEA's ARC is ARC520
and it's available from SIMTEL20 as PD:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>ARC520.COM.
--
Keith Petersen
Arpa: W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARPA
Uucp: {bellcore,decwrl,harvard,lll-crg,ucbvax,uw-beaver}!simtel20.arpa!w8sdz
GEnie Mail: W8SDZdmimi@ecsvax.UUCP (Miriam Clifford) (04/09/87)
ARC, ver 5.13 has been reported to be a trojan, so beware. There is a version 5.20 of arc out which is faster than 5.12 but still does all the good things that 5.12 did but better.
rde@eagle.UUCP (04/09/87)
ZOO sounds good. BUT....this far away, it isn't practical to get it from that
BBS. Perhaps someone could post it to the net? Sounds as if it would be
appreciated by all.
I though there was an ARC 5.20 now (NOT the Trojan horse). I did ask
for that to be posted too, but no-one came forward. Can I ask again?
please?
--
Bob Eager
rde@ukc.UUCP
...!mcvax!ukc!rde
Phone: +44 227 66822 ext 7589jvc@mirror.UUCP (04/13/87)
/* Written 12:29 pm Apr 9, 1987 by japplega@csm9a.UUCP */ >As to PKARC, I am currently discouraging the use of PKARC to archive files >until it is modified to use another extension. PKARC archives are NOT >compatible with ARC 5.12 or 5.20!!! This is seriously complicated by the >fact that it's files are labeled with the same extension! ARC is an industry >standard... PKARC is not! PKXARC will unarc files from 5.12 and some from >5.20 much faster than ARC... but ARC520.COM makes an ARCE.COM that works just >as fast!!! > > Joe Applegate - Colorado School of Mines Computing Center > {seismo, hplabs}!hao!isis!csm9a!japplega > > *** Unix is a philosophy, not an operating system *** PKARC **DOES** make archives that are 100% compatible with ARC 5.12 and ARC 5.20 (Even if you use comments in your PKARC files, however, ARC will not know about nor preserve these comments). PKARC has a switch setting which allows this compatibility (I've heard, probably from here, that there is a patch to change the default for this switch). Even when in 100% ARC compatible mode, PKARC is *much* faster than ARC (I'm sure someone will/has post test results). I do agree that it is confusing if one uses PKARC to create an archive with the .arc extention but in a form not be compatible with ARC. However, it is just as confusing and frustrating when someone uses the latest and greatest ARC to create an archive which is unreadable buy older versions of ARC. Just changing the archive extention (maybe to .pka) will not be the cure-all since these extentions do not indicate what version software was used to create the archives. Also, odds are that every time ARC comes up with a new technique, PKARC will copy it, and vise versa. >As to PKARC, I am currently discouraging the use of PKARC to archive files >until it is modified to use another extension. PKARC archives are NOT >compatible with ARC 5.12 or 5.20!!! This is seriously complicated by the >fact that it's files are labeled with the same extension! ARC is an industry As I said above, PKARC archives are compatible with ARC 5.12 and 5.20, however, I am currently discouraging the use of ARC 5.20 to archive files until it is modified to use another extension. ARC 5.20 archives are NOT compatible with ARC 5.1* (or earlier versions)!!! This is seriously complicated by the fact that it's files are labeled with the same extension! :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :^) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jim Champeaux jvc@mirror.TMC.COM {mit-eddie, ihnp4, wjh12, cca, cbosgd, seismo}!mirror!jvc Mirror Systems, 2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140 Telephone: (617) 661-0777