READ.ME


new..

There have been some extended enhancements to the COMMENT
utility to add large four line comments. A simple editor is
included in the comment program to allow you to enter four
line 200 character comments to zips, and then fast comment
them en masse while retaining the correct filedate and time.

sysops..

There are a lot of embedded paks and arcs in zips now.
That's why there is a Cleaner program in this archive.
There are many conversion utilities that do not check for
embedded paks and arcs and do not reset the datestamp on all
the files, no matter how deep. Some Sysop's are doing an
unprofessional job of conversion with quick batch file hacks..
Lets get rid of every arc under the sun.. and keep our file
information intact...

all..

NOTE: Both ZIPPER and CLEANER rev H and rev D on, have had
the blocks taken out of the recursive routine for checking
embedded arcs/paks. If you are going to run into deep arcs and
want to speed up conversion a ramdisk can crash on a big deep
arcfile. ..might consider doing like Jim Bready of Nite
Modulator and if you want extra speed use an industrial
strength size cache. What this depth also means is that there
will be no arcs or paks left inside zips.. and that's the way
we want it.. no mo arcs..

During testing in the Bytebrother Labs, after
application of multiple Black Russians we were able to
create an arc file with 140 arcs and paks going over
fifteen levels deep with multiple bad arcfiles and
ZIPPER performed flawlessly.. If ZIPPER or CLEANER find
embedded arc or pak files deep within an arc they will
not abort but will save the files on the level of
corruption and rezip the entire arc. If logging is
enabled with the /l switch an entry will be made in the
log warning you that the ZIP file has bad embedded
arcs/paks inside.. there is a ziptest file in the arc..
a map of a test.. you'll find seven levels of arcs
beneath the first... if you are not using ZIPPER have
your conversion utility swallow this one.. If it doesn't
find and convert embedded levels of arcs you are making
zips with embedded pak and arc files... why..?


IMPORTANT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

PAK can be dangerous in that if you want to run it outside
the current directory you need to run a program called
PAKINST to install it and tell it where it's CNF file is.
Read the docs before using PAK uninstalled..



READ.ME Tuesday, February 28, 1989 10:53 pm Page 2



if you have never, never will, and never want to screw with
PAK.EXE and never see or use PAK files do the following in
your archiver directory pointed to by SPAT..

copy PKUNPAK.EXE PAK.EXE

copy your PK unpacker into a PAK.EXE file.. and change line
one of your ZIPPER.CFG file from " e" to " -e". this will
fool ZIPPER into thinking you have a valid PAK.EXE and if you
do run into a real PAK file ZIPPER will note it as a bad
PAK, log it and move on.. Note that this is not a good
idea.. there ARE files floating around with embedded paks
inside of arcs and even embedded paks inside of ZIP's.. Just
because you don't see a PAK or ARC when you dir does not mean
you will not have to deal with one..that's a promise..!

ZIPPER will abort AFTER the current file being processed if
you press the escape key. It will finish the current file
and then abort cleanly..

for those of you running DesqView it WILL NOT make your
normal environment variables available.. There is a way to
get around this ( other than not running DesqView ) and it is
documented in the DV manual.. or after starting DesQview drop
out to DOS and enter..

set spat=c:\bin

using the directory that your archive files are in.. and it
will take.. This is DesQview's problem and not Zipper's..

The game plan for using these utilities on a BBS is as
folows.

Nitely per Event run Cleaner on your uploads directory to
check all recent ZIP's for embedded arcs and paks and also
add your comments to the zips. Be advised that there are a
hell of a lot of zips out there with paks and arcs inside..

Nitely per Event Zipper your uploads directory to convert
any and all ARC and PAK files..

For previously converted zips that you want your BBS add on
run Comment on the directories and attach the new comments,
after placing your bbs logo in the ZIPPER.CFG file.

After Cleaning and Zipping all the files in your uploads
run DIRCHECK on the upload dirlist to change the .ARC
and .PAK file extensions in the list to the correct.ZIP.

If the archive utilities.. especially PKZIP should suddenly
start giving you help screens instead of executing commands
delete your ZIPPER.CFG file and run ZIPPER or CLEANER again
to create a new one..



READ.ME Tuesday, February 28, 1989 10:53 pm Page 3



Since COMMENT runs from your ZIPPER.CFG file and the
actual comment is stored in the cfg you can edit it
and insert control characters into the comment to create
the double and triple line comments you have seen on ZIPs
when they unzip. The limit on characters running from a
redirected file like COMMENT uses is large.. so experiment.
A new comment editor and major enhancements to the utility
are included in revision E and on.

A special thanks to Jim Bready of Nite Modulator BBS in Ca.
for helping me see the forest. (408)-728-5598.
also Mike Meyer of DataWarp BBS in Ok. (home of EZReader)
for the great ideas.. (918)-455-5544
and the Bytebro's sysop Bill Nolan's MINX (316)-721-3773
for the test bed..

I can be reached at these boards, or on Interlink. If you
are not currently using the Interlink net available on
participating PCBoards across the country come on aboard.
You'll find some of the top shareware authors and a lot of
technical info to make you more productive with your pc. See
you there.. You'll find me hanging around a number of
conferences, check out Dialog where the Bytebrother's are
currently planning a nuclear war in the mideast..

J.L. Pearson
of the Bytebrothers
member Fast Logic Outlaws