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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
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