[comp.binaries.ibm.pc] deARCing binaries

bill@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Bill Frolik) (02/23/88)

/ hpcvlx:comp.binaries.ibm.pc / c60b-ap@buddy.Berkeley.EDU (Ron Mirasol) /  2:13 pm  Feb 17, 1988 /

In article <335@tsc.DEC.COM> pete@tsc.DEC.COM (Pete Schmitt) writes:

> This is an archive (PLANETS.ARC) that must be uudecoded prior
> to deARCing.

What archive format exactly is this?  I have been unable to "deARC"
any binaries that I have downloaded from the net.  I tried UNIX "ar"
but this apparently isn't the format.  I'm sure others have had
similar problems, so if some kind soul out there could post an answer
it would be appreciated (as opposed to e-mail).

Thanks, 
Ron Mirasol
----------

styer@pyr.gatech.EDU (Eugene Styer) (02/24/88)

In article <170001@hpcvlx.HP.COM> bill@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Bill Frolik) writes:
>/ hpcvlx:comp.binaries.ibm.pc / c60b-ap@buddy.Berkeley.EDU (Ron Mirasol) /  2:13 pm  Feb 17, 1988 /
>
>What archive format exactly is this?  I have been unable to "deARC"
>any binaries that I have downloaded from the net.  I tried UNIX "ar"
>but this apparently isn't the format.  I'm sure others have had
>similar problems, so if some kind soul out there could post an answer
>it would be appreciated (as opposed to e-mail).
>
>Thanks, 
>Ron Mirasol
>----------

Having run into this problem a while back, I did some searching of my own
and maybe can help.  First, if you have access to a PC, look around for
the current version of ARC (5.20) or PKARC, which seem to come around
periodically, and are available on most archives.  Otherwise, I have
a unix/C version that I can send you.  Unfortunately it occasionally
gives a "you need a newer version" message, but it is still better than
nothing.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Eugene Styer
Ga. Tech Box 32036
Georgia Insitute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
(404)-872-9185
   styer@gitpyr.gatech.edu

tsf@arizona.edu (Ted Frohling) (02/24/88)

Versions of ARC for the IBM pc are available from a number of sources. Many
PC bulletin boards all over the world usually have one or two.  There are
two prevalent types, one ARC which is older and a newer one which creates
'crunched' files which the older one won't read and gives the message about
needing a newer version.  Either will unarc the stuff that I have seen come
over the net.  If you have ftp access to the Internet try simtel20.arpa
(26.0.0.74)  the files you want to get via anon ftp are:
pd1:<msdos.arc-lbr>arc520s.arc  (the older version)
pd1:<msdos.arc-lbr>pkx35a35.exe (the newer version)

If you have bitnet access try the list server at listserv@rpicicge.bitnet.
Haven't tried this one myself, so you'll want to do the help or info command
first to find out what's there and where.

Hope this helps.
-- 
Ted Frohling                               Internet: tsf@rvax.ccit.arizona.edu
Network Support                            BITNET:   tsf@arizrvax.BITNET 
CCIT - Telecommunications                  AT&T:     (602) 621-4834
University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721

wnp@dcs.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul) (02/25/88)

In article <170001@hpcvlx.HP.COM> bill@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Bill Frolik) writes:
>/ hpcvlx:comp.binaries.ibm.pc / c60b-ap@buddy.Berkeley.EDU (Ron Mirasol) /  2:13 pm  Feb 17, 1988 /
>
>In article <335@tsc.DEC.COM> pete@tsc.DEC.COM (Pete Schmitt) writes:
>
>> This is an archive (PLANETS.ARC) that must be uudecoded prior
>> to deARCing.
>
>What archive format exactly is this?  I have been unable to "deARC"
>any binaries that I have downloaded from the net.  I tried UNIX "ar"
>but this apparently isn't the format.  I'm sure others have had
>similar problems, so if some kind soul out there could post an answer
>it would be appreciated (as opposed to e-mail).

Files in the MS-DOS world (and increasingly UNIX on personal computers, as well
as other non-MS-DOS PCs) with an extension ".ARC" usually are archives produced
with one of several archivers which are almost compatible with each other.

The original ARC was written by System Enhancment Associates and is being
distributed under the shareware system. The current version is, I think, 5.12.
ARC is a combined archive creator/archive extractor.

A modified version of ARC, which is faster and also adds an additional 
compression algorithm ("squashing") was written by Phil Katz and is called
PKARC. The corresponding archive extraction utility is called PKXARC.

Finally, there is a set of utilities written by Vern Buerg which also manipulate
such archives; ARCA creates and adds to *.ARC archives, and ARCE extracts files
from archives. I do not know what the current version numbers are, but the
latest version of ARCE is able to extract files from PKARC'ed, "squashed"
archives.

One thing that is true of all these programs is that they will print out fairly
complete instructions for their use when invoked without any arguments.

The syntax for unpacking an archive, say FOO.ARC, is as follows:

With ARC:

	A>ARC X FOO

With PKXARC:

	A>PKXARC FOO

With ARCE:

	A>ARCE FOO

All of these utilities can be found on almost all BBS systems, as well as
in the commercial systems like CompuServe, Source, Genie, etc.

I have a disk of archive utilities for MS-DOS, including the programs mentioned
above, as well as tar and shar/unshar for MS-DOS, which I will be glad to
copy for anyone who sends me a blank, formatted disk and a stamped, self-
addressed disk mailer.

Wolf Paul
EES Inc.
6730 LBJ Freeway #2195
Dallas, TX 75240


-- 
Wolf N. Paul                  Phone: (214) 306-9101 (h)   (214) 404-8077 (w)
3387 Sam Rayburn Run          UUCP: ihnp4!killer!{dcs, doulos}!wnp
Carrollton, TX 75007          INTERNET: wnp@dcs.UUCP       ESL:  62832882
Pat Robertson does NOT speak for all evangelical Christians--not for me, anyway!

tedk@ihuxv.ATT.COM (Kekatos) (02/26/88)

In article <170001@hpcvlx.HP.COM> bill@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Bill Frolik) writes:
>/ hpcvlx:comp.binaries.ibm.pc / c60b-ap@buddy.Berkeley.EDU (Ron Mirasol) /  2:13 pm  Feb 17, 1988 /
>
>In article <335@tsc.DEC.COM> pete@tsc.DEC.COM (Pete Schmitt) writes:
>
>> This is an archive (PLANETS.ARC) that must be uudecoded prior
>> to deARCing.
>
>What archive format exactly is this?  I have been unable to "deARC"
>any binaries that I have downloaded from the net.  I tried UNIX "ar"
>but this apparently isn't the format.  I'm sure others have had
>similar problems, so if some kind soul out there could post an answer
>it would be appreciated (as opposed to e-mail).
>
>Thanks, 
>Ron Mirasol
>----------

Get a copy of 'PKX35A35.EXE'. When you execute this program on your
PC, It will  automatically DE-ARC itself and produce the following:

PKXARC.COM  --  DE-ARC utility
PKX.COM     --  ARC utility
PKXARC.DOC  --  Doc file
PKX.DOC     --  Doc file



Try calling a local PC-based BBS system. Most have "download" sections
where you can obtain many valuable utilities.

If you have to other source of local BBS phonenumbers, Call (312) 545-8086.
Read messages 16-19.






Ted G. Kekatos
backbone!ihnp4!ihuxv!tedk                     (312) 979-0804
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Indian Hill South, IX-1F-460
Naperville & Wheaton Roads - Naperville, Illinois. 60566 USA