Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!hp4nl!philapd!idcapd!robl
From: robl@idca.tds.PHILIPS.nl (R. Luursema)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Why are postings NOT in shar form
Message-ID: <1066@idcapd.idca.tds.philips.nl>
Date: 5 Dec 90 14:51:15 GMT
References: <1717@syteke.be> <1990Dec4.131453.291@uwasa.fi>
Organization: Philips Information Systems, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands
Lines: 46

In article <1990Dec4.131453.291@uwasa.fi> ts@uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi) writes:
>In article <1717@syteke.be> jim@syteke.be (Jim Sanchez) writes:
>>...
>>and posting news from *NIX type machines, why don't the uuencoded
>>files get wrapped up so a simple sh <file> will expose them.
>
>Not needed.
>
>5. *****
> Q: How do I extract from comp.binaries.ibm.pc binary postings?
>
> A1: 1) One handy trick to download multi-part postings from the
>binaries to your Unix host is the following.  Use rn (read news) to
>store the posting in ~/News/Comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d.  (It must be
>empty when you commence).  Then apply automatic combining and
>uudecoding:
>   combine Comp.binaries.ibm.pc
>You will end up with the .zoo package on your Unix host.
> 2) If you don't already have the combine program, you can create it
>yourself:
>   #! /bin/sh
>   cat $* | sed '/^END/,/^BEGIN/d' | uudecode
>Make the script executable by applying
>   chmod u+x combine

1) this works ONLY on c.b.i.p, not other (un-)moderated groups.
2) you have to save the parts in th ecorrect sequence (they seldom arrive 
	here in sequence)
3) all parts have to be present at the same time (this is not always the case)
4) there is no checking for correct size and sequences within uudecode,
	or the script above.

A shar *can* have the inteligence to cope with the obove points.
On the other hand, shars are like self extracting executables: dificult
to control (automatic processing) and full of RISKS...


Rob.
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