Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!cica!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!usc!merlin.usc.edu!castor.usc.edu!aliu
From: aliu@castor.usc.edu (Alejandro Liu - "ArchLich of Navarrone")
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Re: How to un-arc an archive file ?
Keywords: C64, archive
Message-ID: <4369@merlin.usc.edu>
Date: 14 Jul 89 03:44:33 GMT
References: <19019@vax5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU>
Sender: news@merlin.usc.edu
Reply-To: aliu@castor.usc.edu
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 29

Archive on the c64 is a wedge program. That means, you load up archive and
run it. You get the "ready." message again. Then, you have a couple of options
such as:

to list the files in an archive, type:

arc/l filename[.arc]        (arc extension is optional)
arc/v filename[.arc]        (verify an archive)
arc/c filename[.arc]  file1 file2 file3 ...  (create an archive)
arc/x filename[.arc]        dissolve an archive

[] denotes optional text

By the way, try to find version 2.5 (250). The docs are available at the
finnish compuker mentioned before, ftp  128.214.5.6, but I think they are
version 2.3  Get the docs, there are many more commands available. Key thing
is: 1) you have to type the commands in dirrect mode.
    2) never put any spaces in a filename (if there is a space, use ?)
    3) you don't load the archive in memory (most likely it would crash the
       computer, by loading over the zero page)
    4) if you download the archive by x-modem, use the "fix" command to
       remove the padding:
   
      arc/f filename[.arc]

Also, there is a little unarc'er that un-arcs MS-DOS files (created on IBM's,
amigas, atari ST's, etc)...

Good Luck, and GET THE DOCS.