Message-ID: <01FD6EC775C6D4119CDF0090273F74A4021F12@emwatent02.meters.com.au> From: "Da Silva, Joe" To: "'opendos AT delorie DOT com'" Subject: RE: TGZ compression (was Greed, nee DPMS info) Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2001 15:55:16 +1100 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0) Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Reply-To: opendos AT delorie DOT com Thanks. Note however, that the possible "large file" problem is with UNTGZ, *not* GZIP. The problem I had with GZIP was that (from memory) : 1. It has a nasty habit of overwriting the source file. 2. It doesn't seem to handle LFN's within archives properly. 3. It's documentation sux. Joe. > -----Original Message----- > From: Patrick Moran [SMTP:pmoran22 AT yahoo DOT com] > Sent: Tuesday, 30 January 2001 15:05 > To: opendos AT delorie DOT com > Subject: Re: TGZ compression (was Greed, nee DPMS info) > > Hmmm, I have not had any problems with GZIP with DOS. Maybe if you gave > me some examples, I can see what is wrong. Of course I got used to using > it under Linux and am pretty familiar with it. It does not do everything > in DOS that it can do in Linux. I'll try zipping some very large files > with it and see what happens. I have some huge WINDOZE crap that I can > experiment with. However, I rarely use GZIP alone I usually use TAR and > filter GZIP though TAR. That may be where you have problems with large > files. I'll try some huge zipped WINDOZE file and just zip it again with > GZIP and see what happens. Also it is possible that DPMI is not so very > compatible with GZIP. Often I have to turn DPMI off to make programs > work right. I'll paly with it some and see if I can make it fail without > using TAR. > > Pat > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Da Silva, Joe" > To: > Sent: Monday, January 29, 2001 7:09 PM > Subject: RE: TGZ compression (was Greed, nee DPMS info) > > > > Yep, TGZ compression is very good - "all round" it outperforms > > anything else out there (AFAIK). > > > > The only problem I have with it is that GZIP/GUNZIP is the > > most user-vicious software I have ever tried to use!!! And the > > documentation is not much help. If you know how to use it > > *safely* under various DOS environments (with and without > > LFN), please tell us the secret! After my last attempt with > > GZIP, I gave up in disgust and used WinZip to extract what > > I wanted (yep, that's the Windoze package you are probably > > thinking of ...). > > > > As for UNTGZ, this is a MUCH, MUCH more user-friendly > > piece of software. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. > > IIRC, the documentation mentions this WRT the infamous > > LZW compression, however I think it also baulks at very > > large files (?). > > > > Speaking of LZW, this is used, not just in many GIF files, but > > also some ZIP files, some PDF files, Unix 'compress' files > > (IIRC), some other graphics formats, etc. etc. etc. It is very > > pervasive, as it was the first "good" compression algorithm > > developed. Anyway ... having a look at patents recently, it > > appears that the LZW patent is due to expire in about 2.5 > > years. So eventually, all those programs where the LZW > > algorithm was removed thanks to Unisys (eg. Ghostscript, > > InfoZIP, etc.), can be made "whole" again. In the meantime > > just boycott all Unisys products! > > > > Joe. > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Patrick Moran [SMTP:pmoran22 AT yahoo DOT com] > > > Sent: Tuesday, 30 January 2001 11:06 > > > To: opendos AT delorie DOT com > > > Subject: Re: Greed (was DPMS info) > > > > > > I have a much better idea! Why doesn't everyone just use .tgz > files!? > > > > > > That is use TAR through GZIP. You can use TAR and GZIP on every > > > operating system I have used. it with Unix, Linux, DOS, WINDOZE > (3.x,) > > > OS/2. > > > > > > You can also use TAR and GZIP backups to tape drives, zip drives, > hard > > > drives, LS-120, MO drives, or just about any other type of drive. It > > > will work with SCSI, QIC-20/30/60/120/150/250/525/etc. It will even > work > > > with QIC-80. > > > > > > This way there would be a universal standard using FREE GNU/GPL > > > software. GZIP compression is better than PKZIP and probably equal > to or > > > better than RAR. I would have to compress some large files and see > if > > > GZIP is as good as the latest RAR. RAR may get better results from > > > multimedia files, but I get very little compression with those using > RAR > > > anyway. > > > > > > I seem to remember that you can also unzip .ZIP files with GZIP. I > > > believe that is what I did with .ZIP files under Linux. However, > PKZIP > > > cannot unzip GZIP files (at least the DOS version cannot.)The people > > > making packages and such for Linux got mad at RAR authors and have > > > pretty much given up on RAR. I can UNRAR files in Linux though. > > > > > > I think if people would use TAR and GZIP for DOS files and maybe > other > > > files (most WINDOZE users are so dumb they > > > cannot do anything but point and click! Give them a program with > some > > > real capabilities and the would be immediately lost!) All that would > be > > > needed is to start using it for DOS files and who knows maybe > someone > > > will write a frontend for it for WINDOZE and maybe even one for DOS > so > > > you don't have to remember all those modifiers. (especially for tape > > > drives.) > > > > > ----- snip ----- > > > > > BTW one or both RAR and PKZIP WINDOZE versions will decompress .tgz > > > files. I don't recall which will do this. There is also a program > for > > > DOS call UNTGZ. This is very easy and simple to use for files. (not > > > tapes and other media.) > > > > > > Pat > > > > > ----- snip ----- > > > _________________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com