[comp.sys.mac.misc] converting xxx.Z files on the mac.

schorsch@oxy.edu (Brent William Schorsch) (02/18/91)

in experementing with ftp, I have found some sites which encode 3 times,
first with stufit(.sit) then binHex(.hqx) then compress from UNIX (.Z)
I was wondering if I have to ftp from a unix machine, uncompress it and then
ftp it to my mac or if there is a program that will let me uncompress
it on my mac...
Thanks!
-Brent
(schorsch@oxy.edu)

johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu (Bill Johnston) (02/20/91)

In article <146582@tiger.oxy.edu>, schorsch@oxy.edu 
(Brent William Schorsch) writes...
>in experementing with ftp, I have found some sites which encode 3 times,
>first with stufit(.sit) then binHex(.hqx) then compress from UNIX (.Z)
>I was wondering if I have to ftp from a unix machine, uncompress it and then
>ftp it to my mac or if there is a program that will let me uncompress
>it on my mac...

MacCompress will dearchive unix compressed files.  It is available
in the sumex archives (inet # 36.44.0.6) in the /info-mac/util
directory.  

Note that ".Z" files have a binary format; you'll need to specify binary 
(not MacBinary) file type for all file transfers.  MacKermit 0.98 allows 
the user to receive plain binary files; so far, I haven't found a way 
to do this with White Knight.

-- Bill Johnston (johnston@oscar.ccm.udel.edu)
-- 38 Chambers St.; Newark, DE 19711; (302)368-1949 

gamorris@lescsse.uucp (Gary A. Morris) (02/21/91)

In <146582@tiger.oxy.edu> schorsch@oxy.edu (Brent William Schorsch) writes:
>in experementing with ftp, I have found some sites which encode 3 times,
>first with stufit(.sit) then binHex(.hqx) then compress from UNIX (.Z)

It's usually a waste of time to compress twice (once with Stuffit and once
with compress).

>I was wondering if I have to ftp from a unix machine, uncompress it and then
>ftp it to my mac or if there is a program that will let me uncompress
>it on my mac...

There is a MacCompress that will compress/uncompress Unix compress files.
It's available from various archives, such as the listserver at rice (I
don't have ftp, so that's where I get stuff).

I just used it yesterday to compress a 45M database (down to 21M) on my
Unix machine and then ftp it to my Mac where I uncompressed it.   It's
fast (much faster than Stuffit) though I have heard it has problems with
uncompressing Mac applications sometimes.

--GaryM
-- 
Gary Morris                    Internet: gmorris@nasamail.nasa.gov
Lockheed, Houston, Texas       UUCP:     lobster!lescsse!gamorris
N5QWC/W5RRR                    Phone:    +1 713 283 5195

ingemar@isy.liu.se (Ingemar Ragnemalm) (02/22/91)

gamorris@lescsse.uucp (Gary A. Morris) writes:

>In <146582@tiger.oxy.edu> schorsch@oxy.edu (Brent William Schorsch) writes:
>>in experementing with ftp, I have found some sites which encode 3 times,
>>first with stufit(.sit) then binHex(.hqx) then compress from UNIX (.Z)

>It's usually a waste of time to compress twice (once with Stuffit and once
>with compress).

>>I was wondering if I have to ftp from a unix machine, uncompress it and then
>>ftp it to my mac or if there is a program that will let me uncompress
>>it on my mac...

>There is a MacCompress that will compress/uncompress Unix compress files.
>It's available from various archives, such as the listserver at rice (I
>don't have ftp, so that's where I get stuff).

>I just used it yesterday to compress a 45M database (down to 21M) on my
>Unix machine and then ftp it to my Mac where I uncompressed it.   It's
>fast (much faster than Stuffit) though I have heard it has problems with
>uncompressing Mac applications sometimes.

I once used MacCompress to compress some MacPaint files. When I wanted them
again, I had forgotten what settings I had been using. No, no, MacCompress
won't remember that for you... It took a few tries to get it back, and then
the files didn't get the right file type, so I had to correct each file back
to "MPNT"/"PNTG" by hand. (Was that the problem you thought about, with
"applications"?)

Last time I use MacCompress for anything but uncompressing text files!
As far as I remember, it does not have very good compression either.
Of course, text files are quite easy to compress by 50%.

--
Ingemar Ragnemalm
Dept. of Electrical Engineering	     ...!uunet!mcvax!enea!rainier!ingemar
                  ..
University of Linkoping, Sweden	     ingemar@isy.liu.se

gamorris@lescsse.uucp (Gary A. Morris) (02/28/91)

In <ingemar.667207012@stuart> ingemar@isy.liu.se (Ingemar Ragnemalm) writes:

>gamorris@lescsse.uucp (Gary A. Morris) writes:

>>I just used it yesterday to compress a 45M database (down to 21M) on my
>>Unix machine and then ftp it to my Mac where I uncompressed it.   It's
>>fast (much faster than Stuffit) though I have heard it has problems with
>>uncompressing Mac applications sometimes.

>I once used MacCompress to compress some MacPaint files. When I wanted them
>again, I had forgotten what settings I had been using. No, no, MacCompress
>won't remember that for you... It took a few tries to get it back, and then
>the files didn't get the right file type, so I had to correct each file back
>to "MPNT"/"PNTG" by hand. (Was that the problem you thought about, with
>"applications"?)

No, it turns out the problem uncompressing applications was not the
fault of MacCompress at all but was caused by Gatekeeper not allowing it
do the operations it needed to recreate the application file.  Adding it
to Gatekeepers permission list solved the problem.
--GaryM
-- 
Gary Morris                    Internet: gmorris@nasamail.nasa.gov
Lockheed, Houston, Texas       UUCP:     lobster!lescsse!gamorris
N5QWC/W5RRR                    Phone:    +1 713 283 5195