Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!homxb!mtuxo!mtune!codas!cpsc6a!cpsc6b!crs From: crs@cpsc6b.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: PK ARC, Another View Message-ID: <287@cpsc6b.cpsc6a.att.com> Date: Wed, 8-Jul-87 18:36:06 EDT Article-I.D.: cpsc6b.287 Posted: Wed Jul 8 18:36:06 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jul-87 14:43:51 EDT Organization: AT&T (CPSC), Oakland, CA Lines: 47 Keywords: arc, pkarc First, let me say that I have NOTHING agianst Phil Katz, PK ARC (in concept), or the adoption of any *new* standards in technology. I Have copies of the latest postings of PKARC and PKXARC from comp.binaries. My problem with PKARC is not the quality of compression, or the speed of execution. It is the incompatibility of the software itself, and the lack of convenient features. When I first downloaded the software, I held my breath in anticipation, having read numerous claims as to the incredible speed of the software. I selected a sizable arc file, and timed the execution of "arc t filename". After recording the results, I proceeded to execute "pkxarc t filename", and to my amazement, the the program was completed in 1 SECOND!!! Only then did I realize that what I actually was looking at was the message: insufficient memory. Interesting, that a ~30K COM file should determine that my 640K PC didn't have enough memory. I started poking around, and found that the problem was not really a lack of memory on my PC's part, but some confused interaction on the part of the software with my environment (I have it expanded to about 450 bytes). I discovered that, in order to run the PK ARC family, I must *completely* wipe out my environment! (I am using an AT&T PC6300, if that has any bearing). After getting the software to work, I then discovered that it apparently (correct me if I am wrong) can't deal with acrhive files outside the current directory. And, as if that weren't enough, PKXARC *requires* that you preface switches with a "/", and doesn't even check the value of SWITCHAR. I have gotten PKARC sort of limping along, but I find these inconveniences almost outweigh the speed and improved compression provided. I would be grateful for any information on how to overcome the problems I am having, as I have seen just how fast PKARC is (38 seconds to create an archive that took over 3 minutes with arc). Also, for any who recall my postings of the System V port of ARC, I would be more than willing to add the Squash algorithm, should it become available. Chris Seaman .signatures? We don't need no steenking .signatures! crs@cpsc6a.ATT.COM or ..!ihnp4!cpsc6a!crs