Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watnot!watmath!clyde!rutgers!lll-lcc!ptsfa!ihnp4!occrsh!occrsh.ATT.COM!gorgo.UUCP!authorplaceholder From: authorplaceholder@gorgo.UUCP.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: RE: Numerous requests for ARC.EXE Message-ID: <58200031@gorgo.UUCP> Date: Mon, 6-Apr-87 23:50:00 EST Article-I.D.: gorgo.58200031 Posted: Mon Apr 6 23:50:00 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 11-Apr-87 06:25:40 EST References: <274@cup.portal.com> Lines: 68 Nf-ID: #R:cup.portal.com:-27400:gorgo.UUCP:58200031:000:3540 Nf-From: gorgo.UUCP!ddrex Apr 6 22:50:00 1987 /* Written 1:43 am Apr 4, 1987 by Susan_Kay_Trapne@cup.portal.com.UUCP in gorgo.UUCP:comp.sy.ibm.pc */ /* ---------- "RE: Numerous requests for ARC.EXE" ---------- */ Regarding the various postings in comp.sys.ibm.pc for information on "how to obtain" ... "latest version"...of ARC.EXE, etc... I'm using Version 5.1 which I obtained from PC Magazine Interactive Reader Service, PC-IRS, along with a few other useful things. Their number i(212) 696-0360, 1200/300, 8,1,n. Registry is required, the board is free, you pay for the phone call. After much procrastination, I finally "unarc'd" the arcdoc.arc file that I downloded at the same time. It goes into extensive detail, 30 pages worth, including "Program Update Service" for latest releases. Susan Trapnell (susan_trapnell@cup.portal.com) /* End of text from gorgo.UUCP:comp.sy.ibm.pc */ Do note that version 5.1 is fairly obsolete, and may not be able to unpack many archives created with newer versions. The latest is 5.13, released several weeks ago. I don't know what the enhancements are (I don't use ARC anymore) but I hear it's pretty slick. What I use instead of ARC is PKARC/PKXARC, two programs that replace ARC. PKARC makes archives that are compatible with ARC, but does it approx 5 times faster. Likewise, PKXARC breaks them out, and is also a WHOLE LOT faster. If you've ever sipped a whole cup of coffee while waiting for ARC to build a really big file, you'll really be able to appreciate the difference in speed. These two programs (also the newest version of ARC) come in a self-unpacking .COM file. Run it, and the .EXE's pop out. Since the exact size of those files can be had (from the author, or wherever), you can tell before you unpack it whether you have a trojan or the real thing. Also in the running to become a standard in the field of archivers is ZOO. It is much faster than ARC, and as an added bonus, allows you to put comments in the header, within the ARC (PKARC does it too, but I believe that may make the file incompatible with ARC). ZOO files are not ARC compatible. What makes ZOO important is that it is completely public domain, and that the author has released source code (in C) that is #ifdef'd for UNIX, MSDOS, MAC, CP/M, XENIX, and other DOS's. ARC is *not* PD, and the original code from SEA contained their funky "macro" language; you could get the code from them on disk for a mere $20, but there was enough of their proprietary "macro" nonsense in it to be a real pain... And they wanted $100 for the converter. The new version of ARC will probably make archives that cannot be unpacked with the older versions (as usual) which makes all that lovely code that's been here on the net eventually become obsolete. ZOO's author is dead set against that sort of thing. PKARC, PKXARC, ZOO, ZOO source, ARC v5.13, and ARC v5.12 source, are all available from: SOURCEry System bbs [405] 728-2463 FidoNet: 19/0 Registration requested; no fee. First-time callers can download. Don't call during Fido mail hours (2:00am to 6:30am on this system). You'll find other useful utils there, too, like a pd lex that is fully compat with the UNIX version, and GNU BISON (minus docs- anybody have those???). If you call and leave a message to sysop, PLEASE also leave your net address so we can get back to you! David Drexler ddrex@gorgo.UUCP Mandatory disclaimer: gorgo is not SOURCEry, SOURCEry is not gorgo. Gorgo is not a Fido/Usenet gateway. Gorgo will never be a Fido/Usenet gateway.