[comp.sys.amiga] File Compression forms

jwhitman@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Jerry Whitman) (09/14/90)

Can someone please send me a copy of the definitions of the various
file compression/packaging techniques used to generate files with 
their various suffixs. Example - lzh = lharc.

Thanks for the help.

Regards, Jerry Whitman - keeper of the FishXref and FishCon
 

joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) (09/15/90)

jwhitman@STL-06SIMA.ARMY.MIL (Jerry Whitman) writes:

> Can someone please send me a copy of the definitions of the various
> file compression/packaging techniques used to generate files with 
> their various suffixs. Example - lzh = lharc.
> 
> Thanks for the help.
> 
> Regards, Jerry Whitman - keeper of the FishXref and FishCon
>  


Ok....here's a simple chart:

Name      | File Type | Rating | Notes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arc       | .arc      | *      | This one is really old. Stay away.
Pak       | .pak      | **     | Makes Self extracting files.
Zoo       | .zoo      | ****   | Very good, but doesn't compress as well 
          |           |        | LHArc.
PKAZip    | .zip      | ****   | Better than Zoo. Uses mouse.
PKAUnZip  | .zip      | ****   | Decompressing only.
Warp      | .WRP      | ***    | (de)Archive whole disks, (bootblock too)
LHWarp    | .LHW      | ****   | Like Warp, but packs like LHArc
LHArc     | .LZH      | *****  | The "in" Amiga archiver. Makes 
          |           |        | files.
LHUnArc   | .LZH      | *****  | FAST .LZH dearchiver.
LHArcA    | .LZH      | *****  | Use mouse to (de)archive .LZH files.
LZ        | .LZH      | ****   | REAL FAST and VERY BUGGY.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Most people prefer LHArc or a LHArc compatable program nowadays. Stay 
away from LZ at this point, as it is very buggy and not 100% compatable 
with LHArc. If you are CLI weary, try LHArcA, as it is faster than LHArc, 
and you can use the mouse. This is a boon to people that are new to the 
Amiga, or computers in general.


-Joseph Hillenburg

UUCP: ...iuvax!valnet!joseph
INET: joseph@valnet.UUCP
ARPA: valnet!joseph@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu
net.UUCP
ARPA: valnet!joseph@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu

lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca (Larry Phillips) (09/16/90)

In <P3eiP3w163w@valnet>, joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) writes:
>Ok....here's a simple chart:
>
>Name      | File Type | Rating | Notes
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Arc       | .arc      | *      | This one is really old. Stay away.

Available on many machine types, and you will find many files compressed with
it. Worth having for these reasons.

>Pak       | .pak      | **     | Makes Self extracting files.

Piece of garbage. I would rate it at a -****

>PKAZip    | .zip      | ****   | Better than Zoo. Uses mouse.

Worse than Zoo. _ONLY_ uses mouse, ie. you cannot invoke it from an
'auto-extract' script without manual intervention.

>PKAUnZip  | .zip      | ****   | Decompressing only.

Has trouble with lots of ZIPped files. Has not kept up with PKAZip.

>Most people prefer LHArc or a LHArc compatable program nowadays. Stay 
>away from LZ at this point, as it is very buggy and not 100% compatable 
>with LHArc. If you are CLI weary, try LHArcA, as it is faster than LHArc, 
>and you can use the mouse. This is a boon to people that are new to the 
>Amiga, or computers in general.

'Can use' or 'Must use'? Inquisitory minds demand to know. :-)

-larry

--
It is not possible to both understand and appreciate Intel CPUs.
    -D.Wolfskill
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ 
|   //   Larry Phillips                                                 |
| \X/    lphillips@lpami.wimsey.bc.ca -or- uunet!van-bc!lpami!lphillips |
|        COMPUSERVE: 76703,4322  -or-  76703.4322@compuserve.com        |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+

d88-mbe@sm.luth.se (Michael Bergman) (09/17/90)

joseph@valnet.UUCP (Joseph P. Hillenburg) writes:
(on Jerry Whitmans request, my comment)


>Ok....here's a simple chart:
[ stuff deleted... ]

>LHArcA    | .LZH      | *****  | Use mouse to (de)archive .LZH files.
>LZ        | .LZH      | ****   | REAL FAST and VERY BUGGY.

What do you mean "very buggy"??? Don't scare people away like that before
you know for sure what you're talking about!

>away from LZ at this point, as it is very buggy and not 100% compatable 
>with LHArc. If you are CLI weary, try LHArcA, as it is faster than LHArc, 

FYI (for your information :-) the author of LZ an Lhunarc is the same guy.
And yes, I know that LZ crashes if your stack is too small. If you set
your stack to, say 15000 or so, it *never* crashes. This stack problem is
the only problem *I've* experienced with LZ and is easily fixed.
Use it - it's fast. And I mean fast!

BTW, the newest LZ 0.90 uses much less stack. You can ftp it from abcfd20,
/incoming/amiga/. I also believe some other small incompatibility bug was
fixed in this version, although I've never encountered any problems with
compatibility between LHarc an LZ. And I've used LZ a lot.

Mike
-- 
      Michael Bergman         Internet: d88-mbe@sm.luth.se
  //  Undergrad. Comp. Eng.   BITNET:   d88-mbe%sm.luth.se@kth.se
\X/   U of Lulea, SWEDEN      ARPA:     d88-mbe%sm.luth.se@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
			      UUCP:  {uunet,mcvax}!sunic.se!sm.luth.se!d88-mbe