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XPACK.DOC
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PGP Signed Message
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1997-01-17
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19KB
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448 lines
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
XPACK An Executable, Datafile... and DiskImage Compressor
Copyright (c) 1995-1997 by JauMing Tseng
WHAT IS XPACK?
──────────────
XPACK is an EXE/COM/SYS Executable file compressor. This program
compresses most DOS executable files. Compressed programs use
less disk space because they are much smaller,
yet they run EXACTLY as before.
XPACK also allows a compressed diskette image to be created for
electronic transmission. The compressed diskette image can be
transmitted with the use of a modem on regular phone line, or any
other electronic networks. It can be used to archive diskette
images on hard drives or tapes. This guarantees the contents of
the diskette to be the same as the original -- including all
directory structures, date and time stamps of all the files and
directories. This is useful for archiving bootable diskettes, too.
XPACK is also a powerful file compressor with RAM resident
transparent expander(XPACK OnLine DeCompression System), which
gives painless access to compressed files. This is done by
intercepting DOS calls, allowing applications to read compressed
files just as before. Just put a command(XPACK -z) to load
XPACK into the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and forget it.
The RAM resident part of XPACK OnLine DeCompression System uses
3KB of Upper memory and 32KB of EMS memory.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS.
────────────────────
XPACK works on any IBM-compatible machine with 192Kb of free
DOS memory.
method 4 need extra 192Kb,
method 5 need extra 147kb for compression
Every file compressed with XPACK can run on any IBM compatible
system: XT, AT, 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium or Pentium Pro;
on Intel and non-Intel.
USING XPACK.
────────────
Enter the command: XPACK [options] filename
where "filename" is the name of the Executable file to be compressed.
XPACK will only work properly on Executable files, so if you do not
type a file extension, ".EXE", ".COM" or ".SYS" is assumed.
The filename can include drive and path specifications
and wildcards (* or ?).
The various "options" are explained later.
XPACK will make an Executable file that:
(a) is smaller than the original, and
(b) works as before, without any noticeable loss of speed.
The computer may take several seconds to do the compressing. If
you are impatient you can interrupt the process by pressing the
ESC key.
Not every .EXE file can be compressed with XPACK.
(e.g. .EXE with internal overlay can only be packed with option /g)
That's why this program creates backups. The original FILENAME.EXE file
is renamed to FILENAME.OLE. If anything goes wrong you can
restore the original file by entering these 2 commands at
the DOS prompt:
COPY FILENAME.OLE FILENAME.EXE
DEL FILENAME.OLE
(.COM and .SYS files are always packed ok.)
OPTIONS.
────────
Any "options" that you use are typed after "XPACK" and
before "FILENAME".
Options are all case-insensitive, separated by spaces, and begin
with either the hyphen ('-') or the slash ('/') character.
Here are the details of the command line options:
-? This switch invokes option -h
-h This switch tells XPACK to display a
Help Screen to the DOS console device.
You can use "XPACK /? > XPACK.HLP" to save it.
-4 This switch tells XPACK to use pack method 4
best ratio
-5 This switch tells XPACK to use pack method 5 (default)
2nd compression ratio
fastest compression
quickest extraction
smallest sfx
-x expand a compressed .COM or .SYS file.
-f This switch tells XPACK to convert the file even if
the result is bigger than the original file. (Not many
users will take advantage of this option!)
-o This switch tells XPACK to override the default
generation of FILENAME.OLE backup files. (Use this only
if you have already determined that XPACK compresses
the file(s) successfully.)
-g This tells XPACK to merge an overlay into packed file.
(See note below concerning files that cannot be packed.)
Without the -g option, XPACK does not try to compress
an .EXE file that contains overlays.
The -g option may not work with every .EXE that contains
an overlay. It works well with .EXE files compiled from
text (ASCII) with TURBOTXT (an excellent program that is
supplied with the registered version of the TURBOBAT
batch file compiler), overlay programs compiled by
TURBO/BORLAND Pascal and Clipper 5.2 with Blink 3.0
-pd Pack files as Data
those data files can be used by XPACK OnLine Decompression System
which gives painless access to XPACKed-Data files
-ud Unpack XPACKed-Data files
-z install (stay resident) Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
-zr release (uninstall TSR) Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
-z- deactivate (TSR off) Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
-z+ activate (turn TSR on) Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
-ux Ultra eXpander for some high level language compiled progys! :D
(to unpack a overlay-exe, plz remember use fullpath & extension)
(this option doesn't accept wildcards! :D)
USING XPACK to create compressed diskette image.
────────────────────────────────────────────────
Enter the command: XPACK option drive: filename
where "filename" is the name of the compressed diskette image file.
If you do not type a file extension, ".XDI" is assumed.
The filename can include drive and path specifications.
Here are the details of the new options:
-p Pack the diskette in drive: to filename
-u Unpack to the diskette in drive: from filename
the filename here can include wildcards (* or ?).
EXAMPLES.
─────────
To compress all the .EXE files in the current directory
just type:
XPACK *.EXE
To compress without backup all .EXE files in C:\PROGS,
type:
XPACK /O C:\PROGS\*.EXE
To pack all the Executable files using method 4, enter this
command:
XPACK /4 *
To compress BUMF.EXE (made from BUMF.TXT using TURBOTXT),
enter the command:
XPACK -g BUMF
To create a compressed diskette image named MYDISK.XDI from drive B:
type:
XPACK -p b: MYDISK.XDI
To unpack (restore) a compressed diskette image C:\BOOT.XDI to drive A:
type:
XPACK -u a: C:\BOOT
To pack all the files as data in D:\MYDATA
type:
XPACK -Pd d:\mydata\*
To unpack all the XPACKed-Data files in E:\MYfile
type:
XPACK -Ud e:\myfile\*.*
To install (stay resident) Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
type:
XPACK -z
To release Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
type:
XPACK -zr
To deactivate Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
type:
XPACK -z-
To active Xpack OnLine DeCompression System
type:
XPACK -z+
FILES THAT CAN'T BE PACKED.
───────────────────────────
Some files can't be compressed with XPACK.
- Programs that check the CRC of a file
- Files that store configuration data internally
- Drivers that can be loaded in a
config.sys file (EMM386.EXE)
- Some files with "overlays" or DOS4GW overlays, etc..
Some "overlaid" files can't be compressed because
when you compress such a file the overlay offset
changes and the compressed program may not find
an overlay.
WINDOWS AND OS/2 FILES.
───────────────────────
XPACK currently cannot Pack Windows or OS/2 New .EXEs are
because at the ends of these files there are resources,
which have to be located there. (e.g. the BITMAPs, Dialog, Boxes,
Buttons, and Icons)
These resources are loaded not with the execution
of the file, but only when needed by Windows or OS/2.
Windows and OS/2 files are automatically recognized by
XPACK.
i'm trying to add functions to compress:
Windows 3.1, Windows 95, OS/2, DOS protect mode, DOS overlay
executables in near future! (plz .. wait:)
DISTRIBUTING XPACK.
───────────────────
The XPACK utility is protected by copyright, and may be
distributed only according to the following limitations:
1) NO price may be charged, other than a fee for copying
and mailing the disk.
2) The utility and documentation must be included together,
in unmodified form.
The XPACK.COM, XPACK.DOC and XpackBg5.Doc
files must stay together.
XPACK can be freely uploaded to any BBS, online system or
something similar, and can be freely included on any CD-ROM.
You can only distribute compressed executables or DiskImages
if you register XPACK.
Verify Authentication
─────────────────────
To verify authentication, you can use pgp to check the signatures,
the correct messages should read:
...
Good signature from user "JauMing Tseng <s8203143@simon.pu.edu.tw>".
Signature made 1997/??/?? ..... GMT using 2048-bit key, key ID EE317325
...
To get author's public key, send a email to s8203143@simon.pu.edu.tw
with Subject: get public key
Thanks:)
CREDITS & Greetings
───────────────────
Optimized by http://www.xs4all.nl/~feldmann
Revised documentation (XPACK.DOC) by John Kiernan, Harald Feldmann.
Translated dox (XPACK.DEU) by Veit Kannegieser, Karl Loncarek.
I thank the following people for testing and suggestions:
Fred Lu, John Kiernan, ChengChang Liu,
Harald Feldmann(Author Hamarsoft HAP archiver), Jeff Gilchrist,
Henrik Haftmann, Michal Weis, Peter Hubinsky (Slovak Antivirus Center),
Cristi Bradiceanu (The DOP), Tomas Hajny, Roeland Louwe Kooijmans,
Keith Petersen (General Manager of Simtel), Peter Gutmann, Frank Zago,
Adam Nikic, Timo Salmi, Mika Koykka, Henry Juhani Aro, Ron van Daal,
Roberto Favaretti, Bulent Eren, Michael E. Webb, Stefan Raaijmakers,
uNDeRWoRLD^TPiNC/CNF, Veit Kannegieser(Author DiskEMU),
Marcel Blanchet, Synopsis. Thank you!
HOW DOES XPACK WORK?
────────────────────
The XPACK utility works by compressing an
executable file. The encoded program is written back to
disk under the original file name, with a relocating
decoder attached to the file.
When the executable file executes, control passes to the
relocating decoder, which relocates itself (and the
encoded data) higher in memory. It then decodes the
program into the same place it would have been loaded if
it were not encoded. The XPACKed program resets the registers
and flags to their original forms and starts the program
just as if there had never been any encoding.
If a "CRC" check failure occurs during decoding .EXE, it will
display a message:
"This program is damaged and can't run!"
and return the user to DOS.
XPACK has a security function that prevents the .EXE program
from running if it has been tampered with or accidentally
corrupted. You can be pretty certain that your program will
come up with all the proper screens without hanging
due to unwanted modification. Your program's underlying
data will not be left in the open (to any one with a hex editor
or disassembler) and your code will be safer from others'eyes.
HOW DOES XPACK OnLine DeCompression System WORK?
────────────────────────────────────────────────
Once loaded, XPACK OnLine DeCompression System gives automatic
access on demand to compressed data files. It does this by
intercepting any calls a program (including COMMAND.COM) makes to DOS.
Normally, XPACK OnLine DeCompression System passes these calls
straight on to DOS, but when a call is detected which opens a
compressed data file, XPACK OnLine DeCompression System reads the
data file and makes a full size copy on disk for the program to use.
It then changes the name of the compressed data file to a name it
recognizes itself and renames the new full size file to the original
file name. Only then does it pass the call on to DOS. Neither DOS nor
the program know that this is happening, so operation is completely
automatic. When an expanded data file is closed without being modified,
XPACK OnLine DeCompression System deletes the expanded copy and renames
the original compressed data file to its original name. If a program
modifies an expanded copy of a data file, XPACK OnLine DeCompression
System deletes the compressed original and leaves the expanded new
data file on disk.
A Special Case to XPACK OnLine DeCompression System? :)
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
XPACK OnLine DeCompression System gives programs the illusion that
small data files are big data files. It does this very successfully
and almost all of the software is fooled all of the time.
A special case is where a program obtains the size of a file from
its directory entry and then reads that number of bytes when it
opens the file. The intention is to read the whole file.
This behavior has been seen with the DOS XCOPY command ( DOS Ver
6.22 at least) and PKZIP (Ver 1.01, 2.04g at least ) from PKWARE.
XPACK OnLine DeCompression System still works well with those
applications! :)
HELP and SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS.
────────────────────────────────
Send them to the author:
Internet e-mail: s8203143@simon.pu.edu.tw
URL:
http://140.128.9.3/home1/86Ga/s8203143/public_html/xpack.html
(Dep. of Computer Science and Info. Mgt, Providence Univ.)
ATTENTION! The contact information expired at 01-Jul-97.
The latest version of XPACK can always be found on:
Slovak Antivirus Center: ftp.elf.stuba.sk /pub/pc/pack
Walnut Creek CDROM: ftp.simtel.net /pub/simtelnet/msdos/execomp
Garbo archives: garbo.uwasa.fi /pc/execomp
Some mirrors of Slovak Antivirus Center:
ftp.vse.cz /pub/msdos/SAC/pc/pack (Czech)
ftp-beer.bke.hu /vol1/pub/sac/pc/pack (Hungary)
ftp.cs.tu-berlin.de /pub/msdos/mirrors/stuba/pc/pack (Germany)
DISCLAIMER.
───────────
Under no circumstances can I, or anyone else who assisted in
writing XPACK or any of the accompanying files, be held responsible
for any damage resulting out of the use or inability to use any of
the files or programs in this Xpack release archive.
All programs mentioned in this documentation are trademarks of their
respective owners. They are used for identification purposes only.
Registration
────────────
XPACK(1.60+) is NOT a free program. It is being released
as shareware. This means that you are allowed to try out
XPACK and its various features for a limited amount of
time, in which you may evaluate the suitability of this
software to your use.
XPACK has not been disabled in any way in the
shareware version. One is granted a 30 day period in
which to evaluate the suitability of XPACK to one's
needs. If you use XPACK for a period longer than this
evaluation period, it is assumed that XPACK is of use to
you, and that you will register it.
The registration fee for Xpack 1.60+ has been set to
USD 20,- for an e-mailed diskimage bonus pack.
USD 30,- for an air-mailed diskette bonus pack.
Add USD 15,- for cheques and bank transfers in Europe.
European users please see xpack.frm for details :)
Other foreign users please read the following:
//
This program(v161) can be registered via the Internet at
Albert's Ambry.
Please go to:
http://www.alberts.com
Search on: >> xpack161.zip <<
Click on the "Buy It" Hotlink to register this software.
Thank you for registering this program. :)
//
Registered users will receive a bonus pack which contains
utilities. (uuencoded if you have e-mail)
Have you decided to register? That's very kind of you.
Thanks! The more registrations i get the more
improvements i will make to this program.
//
End of the XPACK documentation file.
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