Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!cbmvax!vu-vlsi!cgh!paul
From: paul@cgh.UUCP (Paul Homchick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: SQUASHED!
Message-ID: <642@cgh.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 30-Jun-87 07:33:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: cgh.642
Posted: Tue Jun 30 07:33:26 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 2-Jul-87 00:59:03 EDT
Reply-To: paul@cgh.UUCP (Paul Homchick)
Distribution: world
Organization: Chimitt Gilman Homchick Inc., Radnor, PA
Lines: 75
Keywords: ARC, PKARC, squashed, STANDARDS

First the evidence:
================================================================
I cannot un-arc all of the files from the uuencoded wordwiz.arc sent to 
comp.binaries.ibm.pc.  Either the uuencoded binaries of wordwiz.arc were
not sent over the net properly, ...
It lets me get wordwiz.com out, but complains for (I believe) wordwiz.dat.
----------------
This file is in "squashed" format.  I used pkxarc (which was also
distributed on Usenet not so long ago, so it shouldn't be so hard to
find) and it unarced without a hitch. 
----------------
The answer is that I am supposed to use pkxarc to get the files from it.

Honestly, though, how is one supposed to know to use pkxarc instead of
arc? The filename extensions are the same (.arc), and there is no
mention of which program he used in the message. 
----------------
According to PKARC, wordwiz.dat has been "squashed".  The moderator of
comp.binaries.ibm.pc has stated that uuencode and pkarc are the programs
to be used for packing files and has posted both uuencode/decode and
pkarc (they are still there today) to the group. 
----------------
>If most people would resolve to stop using PKARC, or if its author could
>be persuaded to adopt another filetype extention when "squashed" format
>files are created, [...] then [these] problem[s] would not exist...

It's obvious that you've never used PKARC.  Pkarc is 6 times faster
than ARC and also offers an improved compression technique (ARC has
stopped keeping up with the latest techniques).  However, the authors
of PKARC have offered a patch (pkarc 3.4) to permanently disable squashing
(without the patch you could prevent squashing with a switch) 
making it totally compatible with the outdated techniques used by ARC.

The latest version (pkarc 3.5) allows you to create a config file
(pkarc.cfg) and place a variable in the dos environment to tell pkarc
where to find this file.  In the file you can specify SQUASH=ENABLE or
SQUASH=DISABLE.  You can also specify the method of date stamping.
================================================================
Now the argument:

I have used PKARC and think it is an amazing program.  It is fast, but
its incorporation of the SQUASHED file format into the standard ARC file
can create MASS CONFUSION.  I help to run a large IBM bulletin board on
a national timesharing service, and it has been my experience that "ARC"
files that cannot be unARC'd by either ARC.EXE or ARCE.COM are not well
received.  An ARC file with SQUASHED members is like an EXE file that
cannot be run on MS-DOS. 

If the moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc is suggesting that PKARC (with
SQUASHING) is to be the standard, that is very unfortunate.  It is also
unnecessary.
================================================================
The solution:

Vern Buerg, author of the best Public Domain (now, alas, shareware)
program ever (LIST.COM) has written three programs that make using
ARC files very easy.  ARCA.COM adds files to ARChives.  ARCE.COM
takes them out, and ARCV.COM lists the directories.  These programs
are written in assembly language, and are small and extremely fast.
They are also COMLETELY STANDARD in their behavior.  They are not
quite as fast as the newest PKARC, but they are very, very close.
I will post these programs to comp.binaries.ibm.pc.

I urge the moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc to standardize on ARC
files without SQUASHING.  There is little to be gained, but much to
be lost by allowing these non-standard files.  I don't care if people
use PKARC: just be sure it is in a compatible mode.

I urge others to urge the same!!!


-- 
                            Paul Homchick
Chimitt Gilman Homchick, Inc.; One Radnor Station, Suite 300; Radnor, PA 19087
             {seismo!bpa | ihnp4!cbmvax} !vu-vlsi!cgh!paul