Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!bellcore!texbell!killer!elg From: elg@killer.DALLAS.TX.US (Eric Green) Newsgroups: comp.arch Subject: Re: Dhrystone 2.n Results (1 of 2) Message-ID: <6361@killer.DALLAS.TX.US> Date: 9 Dec 88 02:43:37 GMT References: <1266@cps3xx.UUCP> Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas Lines: 38 in article <1266@cps3xx.UUCP>, rang@cpsin3.cps.msu.edu (Anton Rang) says: > In-reply-to: mcdaniel@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu's message of 7 Dec 88 04:57:00 GMT > In article <43700047@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu>, mcdaniel@uicsrd.csrd.uiuc.edu > writes: >>I think the flame was uncalled-for. The header said how to decode the >>files: unshar, uudecode, and uncompress (see lines 22 etc.). [...] > On the other hand, there are some sites which DON'T have unshar, > etc. (There are non-UNIX sites on the net!) Maybe they should be > compressed for posting (as pointed out, they're much smaller), but > a way to get a non-compressed form is also important. Note that most USENET sites automatically compress postings when they ship them from site to site, so compressing them beforehand is both a waste of time and a nuisance on my part. I've measured the savings before.... your initial compress results in essentially random data, which uuencode turns into 1/3rd larger essentially random ASCII, which Lempel-Ziv does not compress well at ALL. The result? Absolutely no time savings in transfer -- may even end up taking longer (I rarely get 30% savings when compressing uuencoded files). Also note that some mailers cannot handle lines longer than 132 characters (esp. some of the Wiscnet stuff on IBM 'frames), so the current 160-char-line format would have to go. Besides, most low-cost printers and line-printers can only handle 132-char lines, and not EVERYBODY has a $10,000 laser printer sitting next to them. Not to mention that people on IBM 'frames running VM/CMS couldn't print 160-char lines even if they DID have a line printer capable of it. As far as I know, the "print" virtual device is hard-coded at 132 chars.... Me? I'm posting this from a 3b2, and my PC is an Amiga with 2.5mb, so I have no problem with even 16-bit-compressed stuff. But Unix is NOT the world. E.g. what if it got gatewayed onto a Fido echo somehow? -- Eric Lee Green ..!{ames,decwrl,mit-eddie,osu-cis}!killer!elg Snail Mail P.O. Box 92191 Lafayette, LA 70509 "We have treatments for disturbed persons, Nicholas. But, at least for the moment, we have no treatment for disturbing persons." -- Dr. Island