Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!casbah.acns.nwu.edu!ucsd!ucrmath!lord_zar
From: lord_zar@ucrmath.ucr.edu (wayne wallace)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.introduction
Subject: Re: Whatza .Z file?
Message-ID: <lord_zar.671698684@ucrmath>
Date: 15 Apr 91 06:58:04 GMT
References: <Uc0lnZu00WB942a0gK@andrew.cmu.edu> <8760@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> <1991Apr11.104812.4833@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au>
Organization: University of California, Riverside
Lines: 24

rik@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au (Rik Harris) writes:

>[discussion about .Z/compress deleted]
>>@Use the ``FILES.Z'' file to locate any archivers you need.
>                 ^^
>            ^^^^^^^
>Isn't this a tad silly?  How would a new user get compress to
>uncompress the file that tells him/her where the compress program is?

>just curious  :-)

Ever hear of zcat? You don't need to use compress to read a .Z file.

zcat filename | (Your favorite pager. Ie less, more.) 

Try this alias in your .cshrc:

alias z 'zcat \!* | $PAGER'

($PAGER is a nice variable to have. Using 'less' with the system manual is
very nice)
Then you just 'z filename' to view it. 

Wayne