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From: rkl@and.cs.liv.ac.uk
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Newcastle - Spark vs. .tar.Z.uu files
Message-ID: <1991May22.112249.48@and.cs.liv.ac.uk>
Date: 22 May 91 11:22:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: and.1991May22.112249.48
References: <1991May17.173257.28868@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au> <10384@castle.ed.ac.uk>
Distribution: comp
Organization: Computer Science, Liverpool University
Lines: 31

> I found this with a recent download - it seems Albert is in the process of
> converting all the Sparked files into .tar.Z.uu files!

I'm in two minds about this myself.

On the one hand I can see the benefits of people with UNIX machines being
able to look at the stuff before downloading (of course, VMS people may
not be so lucky...), but I find it fiddly to extract the stuff on the
archimedes end (since Albert isn't using the Extract/Submit 'protocol' and
I still think Extract/Submit still needs working on - especially on 1MB
floppy-only machines). Here's the fuss I have to go through with Newcastle
files...

uudecode prog_uue                  (watching out for dodgy CR-LFs)
compress -d < prog-Z > prog        (note the non-RISC OS redirection there !)
tar tvf prog                       (just to see what's in there)
tar xvf prog                       (finally extract it !)
[Note that you might need the U flag for tar if it was packed in UNIX format]

So you're relying on THREE programs working OK and all this probably isn't too
clever on a 1MB machine either :-(

Personally, I find it easier with SparkPlug 2 (mind you, like 99% of decoders,
it's real STUPID about CR-LF terminators on uuencoded files...).

Richard K. Lloyd,       **** This is a MicroVAX II running VAX/VMS V5.4 ****
Computer Science Dept.,   JANET     : rkl@uk.ac.liv.cs.and
Liverpool University,     Internet  : rkl%and.cs.liv.ac.uk@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk
Merseyside, England,      UUCP      : ..!mcsun!ukc!liv-cs!rkl
Great Britain.          Q: "What's the world's fastest home micro ?"
L69 3BX                 A: "The Archimedes A3000. 4 MIPS for under 800 pounds."