Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!occrsh!uokmax!rmtodd From: rmtodd@uokmax.UUCP (Richard Michael Todd) Newsgroups: comp.sources.d Subject: Re: File headers on shar files Keywords: headers, comp.sources, source postings, shars Message-ID: <961@uokmax.UUCP> Date: 12 Dec 87 04:42:42 GMT References: <393@ddsw1.UUCP> <10908@sri-spam.istc.sri.com> <1955@chinet.UUCP> Reply-To: rmtodd@uokmax.UUCP () Organization: University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK Lines: 27 In article <1955@chinet.UUCP> dag@chinet.UUCP (Daniel A. Glasser) writes: >The main problem with this suggestion is that compress does not work >the same on all systems. I have a UNIX system that only allows up to >12 bits for compression. Many systems support more bits. The default >is the max, thus if I get a compressed file from, say, a 3B2, I cannot >decompress it. If somebody could post a version of compress that would >give the same number of bits for all systems, at least for decompression, >this problem would be lessened. The max number of bits that a version of compress can handle is limited by how much memory you have available. However, a version capable of 16-bit can read compressed files created by versions capable of 12-bit only. The problem is how to keep the versions of compress capable of better than 12-bit performance from using it and confusing the restricted versions. Fortunately compress has an option -b which allows you to specify the maximum bit code compress will use. Thus compressing a file with the -b12 option should allow the compressed file to be read on any machine. (I know of no machine that is restricted to 11-bits, so 12-bit compression should be universally acceptable.) >(My UNIX box is a Z8001 based system, so doing huge model is not an >option, also, PDP-11's have the same trouble.) Huge model can't be used by my PC under MINIX, either. But as long as I remember to use a suitable -b option when compressing files on uokmax, I have no problems transporting compressed files in either direction. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Richard Todd USSnail:820 Annie Court,Norman OK 73069 UUCP: {allegra!cbosgd|ihnp4}!occrsh!uokmax!rmtodd