Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ulowell!hawk!boneill From: boneill@hawk.ulowell.edu (SoftXc Coordinator) Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d Subject: Re: ARC/ZOO/ZIP for comp.binaries.ibm.pc Message-ID: <11896@swan.ulowell.edu> Date: 27 Feb 89 13:43:16 GMT References: <1325@csm9a.UUCP> Sender: news@swan.ulowell.edu Reply-To: boneill@hawk.ulowell.edu (SoftXc Coordinator) Organization: University of Lowell, CS Dept. Lines: 51 [Sniff...sniff...I smell smoke...] In article <1325@csm9a.UUCP> japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) writes: > > >Amazing... whose code will PK pirate for PKZIP... >and whose compression format will he steal and market as his own???? > Hold on. PKZIP was built ground up from the format he made publicly available. >We need another compression "standard" like we need a hole in the head!!! > Well, considering the last poll I did of compression standards, a total of seven was submitted. I suppose I'll be conducting another poll soon, but probably not until Unix versions of ZIP are out... >I am seriously considering adding a statement to all my products to restrict >their archiving with any PK product... I already refuse to make available any >downloads to my BBS that are not in ARC or ZOO format... make that REAL ARC >format! > That is kind of rediculous, considering that you will most probably limit the distribution of your own programs that way. If several BBS systems have already converted, and if Simtel20 converts on the availability of a TOPS-20 ZIP, then I would assume distributions restricted to non-ZIP will get limited distribution. >The decision of whether to embrace one format or another based on availability >of processing tools on UNIX is rediculous! DOS programs should be processed >with DOS tools... the idea of unarcing a program on Unix and then transmitting >multiple files at 30-50% the size when the .ARC file is available is >not pratical... we have excellant tools for DOS... not only is ARC available >for DOS but ZOO as well... and SIMTEL20 and many BBS' even carry Unix-style >tools such as uudecode/uuencode, tar, ar, and even compress... > I think you have missed the point of a discussion way-back-when about using the ARC files on Unix. The major consideration was the ability to unarc the files on Unix not to download individual pieces, but rather to check documentation. It is a long distance phone call for me to this system if I use my PC, so I want to know what it is I'm getting BEFORE I waste a couple hours and a lot of dollars... ============================================================================== Brian O'Neill, MS-DOS Software Exchange Coordinator ArpaNet: boneill@hawk.ulowell.edu UUCP: {(backbones),harvard,mit-eddie,et. al.}!ulowell!hawk.ulowell.edu!boneill