CompuServe Thread

#CLtd Scsi Dos

14 messages in this thread
#4469From: Betty Clay/SYSOPJan 2, 1989 9:22 PM
Ron, I'll look for it. However, we are getting a terrible proliferation of unpacking programs around here. I was happier when we used nothing but ARC. It's hard enough to tell beginners how to use one program, much less a dozen or so. Besides, all those unpackers take up still more room on my overstuffed WorkBench. Betty
#4485From: New memberJan 3, 1989 9:50 AM
Well said Betty! In the Mac world they have a ton of unpakers and it is a mess! I hear that the IBM world is revolting against its ARC as they are sueing everyone with similar programs. What a mess! Lets just keep using ARC unless someone comes up with something MUCH better. Hopefully they will be smart enough to have it compatable with old arc?
#4525From: Betty Clay/SYSOPJan 3, 1989 11:58 PM
I certainly hope so, Jay. We really need to accept one or another of the methods and standardize on it unless the difference is really marked. ARC was chosen here because it was compatible with files in several other fora. For instance, you can unarc IBM files with the Amiga ARC program. It would be awfully nice, though, if ARC would take longer file names and preserve directory structure. I wish they'd let p=Ale improve on it – if they aren't going to do it themselves. Betty
#4558From: BILL LEACHJan 4, 1989 3:15 PM
Betty: Your wish is statisfied! The Amiga and Arexx to the rescue again! You can have Amiga style file names in ARCives. The solution (or at least one solution) is to have the Arexx driver program rename the file(s) for you, save the names in another file and ARC the whole mess. The same drive will also rename the file(s) upon extraction to their original name. If the whole batch was transfered to an Incredibly Bad Machine their ARC program would still dearc the mess and the 'names' file would allow them to try to choose appropriate name to use that fit within the limited ability of the MSDOS format. 73, bill
#4589From: Art SteinmetzJan 5, 1989 9:07 AM
…which is precisely what Larry Philips' ARCALL.REXX does. Works like a charm. And I often download files onto my office PC to review the text files. I just look at the EXEC.ME file to see what I want to extract from the ARC. — Art
#4609From: Betty Clay/SYSOPJan 5, 1989 7:14 PM
Bill, I have been using MAKEARC to do that, and it works quite well. Many people like to look at the names of the files, though, without dearcing. They complain when we rename things to "File1", "File2", etc. Renaming works, but it does not please those people at all. How much nicer if ARC could just accept the file names – and keep directory structures – without making us rename and create script files to restore! Betty
#4612From: Lloyd W. Dull IIIJan 5, 1989 10:21 PM
Betty, "How much nicer if ARC could just accept the file names – and keep the directory structures – without making us rename and create script files to restore!" Sound a *LOT* like you are asking for ZOO. Does exactly that. And ZOO is FASTER than PKAX (the fast unARCer) – which is faster than ARC. And ZOO's speed is in BOTH creating and dissolving the archives, unlike PKAX which only dissolves ARC's. Lloyd
#4530From: Dave LoveJan 4, 1989 12:54 AM
Well…if they are smart enough to make it compatible with the old arc they had better have a good lawyer. Compatibility was part of the reason Phil Katz was sued and the main reason PKPAK is history. Hopefully Phils next attempt will be everything he's promising. Until then I'll just keep using my old copy of ARC and PKUNPAK ( and pray Dean Cooper will port DWC to the Amiga)!
#4564From: New memberJan 4, 1989 3:43 PM
Sounds like the problem with… Uhh I can't remember it name (Twin Maybe?) but it ran all the templates for Lotus 123 etc but did so faster and cost 1/5 the price. That should be legal right? Lots of companies do reverse eng. Its not a crime.
#4584From: Vic WagnerJan 4, 1989 11:33 PM
Dave, I believe you're mistating the facts. According to 'official' SEA announcements over in IBMSW, the suit was based on the claim that Phil Katz used some of the original SEA code….not that he had a program which extracted ARC files.
#4585From: Dave LoveJan 5, 1989 1:21 AM
Vic, Yep, I did mistate a few facts <humbly asking forgiveness>. I just reviewed the lawsuit files, and sure enough, selective memory strikes again. However, it still appears to me that the only people who really lost in this deal are all of us who use ARC.
#4598From: Gabe J. FederJan 5, 1989 4:37 PM
Yes, Vic, you're right (jumping into another thread, "uninvited") the argument WAS over 'misappropriation' of SEA's code. The argument however was that it was SO much faster that it was not possible that a critical segment of code (to the algorithm) could be pirated with as much an improvement in performance. –Gabe
#4489From: john munschJan 3, 1989 12:38 PM
On Usenet the Amiga groups have all standardized on ZOO. It is litigation free, and isn't shareware. I've been trying to convince others that it is the only rational route to take for the IBMPC as well but without much impact yet.
#4526From: Betty Clay/SYSOPJan 3, 1989 11:58 PM
Some claim that ZOO does not compress as well as ARC. I don't really care which o% chosen, but I do think we should stick with just one. I don't think Usenet has really standardized, though. Lots of them like ZOO, but I still see ARCed things there. And then there is uuencode and shar and all the rest. <sigh> Betty