ARCHandler 2.0 ================ ARCHandler is Copyright © 1994, 1995 Rafael D'Halleweyn. All rights reserved. Introduction ------------ ARCHandler installs a filesystem that gives you transparent access to the files in archives: you can read, view and execute those files/programs from archives without the need to extract them first. You can test the program without installing it first, just double-click the `ARCHandler'. When you have decided to install ARCHandler you should use the included `Install' script. It needs the Commodore `Installer' program. The Installer program should be somewhere in your path. You can use the `Remove' script to deinstall ARCHandler. The `Script' drawer contains several scripts for directory utilities. These are not installed by the Install script. For full documentation you should read the included AmigaGuide (in the `Help' drawer). Distribution ------------ This package is released as shareware. This means you can copy it freely as long as you don't ask any money for it, except perhaps a nominal fee for copying. If you use this package on a regular base, you should send me a contribution of 500 BEF or USD 20. Send money by International Money Order, EuroCheck (in BEF!) or Cash. Magazines that want to include ARCHandler on their coverdisk(s) should also register ARCHandler (one registration fee) and send one free copy of the magazine (including disks) to the author. The package is Copyright © Rafael D'Halleweyn, All Rights Reserved. The author reserves the right to change the status of this package whenever he finds it appropriate. This package should not be spread in any other form than an LhA (or equivalent) archive and all parts of it should be spread together. The package may not be altered in any way and cannot be used for commercial purposes without the prior written permission of the author. The archive should contain the following files: ARCHandler (dir) ARCFiles Disk.info Drawer.info Volume.info C (dir) FindCommand FromARC PrefLanguage StartARC StartARC.info ToARC Catalogs (dir) «language» (dir) archandler.catalog ... archandler.cd Help (dir) «language».info «language» (dir) ARCHandler.guide ... Scripts (dir) FromARC.dmrx FromARC.dopus Scripts.txt Scripts.txt.info ToARC.dmrx ToARC.dopus Pictures (dir) ARCHandlerCxPrefs.pic ARCHandlerDevPrefs.pic ARCHandlerKeyReq.pic ARCHandlerMain.pic ARCHandler ARCHandler.info ARCHandler.txt ARCHandler.txt.info ARCHandler_small ARCHandler_small.info Help.info Install Install.info Remove Remove.info Scripts.info ARCHandler.info Distribution of the program on any medium (CD, floppy, ...) in such a way that it is ready to be used (eg. as a front-end for a CD-ROM) requires the permission of the author. The installation-script (`Install') and the extra commands it uses (`FindCommand', `PrefLanguage' and `StartARC') are also copyrighted and can't be used in any other project/archive without the prior written permission of the author. History ------- =========================================================================== ·release 1.0 [37.129 (12.7.94)] -First release. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ·release 1.0a [37.131 (14.7.94)] -Volumes that have the same name as a device couldn't be used through the handler (reported by Erik Bergen). -Removed a nasty Enforcer hit. -Made some changes to the installation script. =========================================================================== ·release 1.1 [37.157 (21.8.94)] «never released» -ARCHandler now uses it's own routine to list lha-archives. As a result, ARCHandler no longer needs the PIPE-device. The strange files, that sometimes showed up, should also be gone. Listing is now also a bit faster. -Files are now extracted much faster (upto 5 times faster for small files like icons). -ARCHandler won't start to list an archive when another process is already listing the same archive. -Added a '.backdrop' file to the root of the filesystem. Now you can permanently leave out files and drawers. -The handler now supports ACTION_COPY_DIR_FH (DupLockFromFH), ACTION_EXAMINE_FH (ExamineFH), and ACTION_PARENT_FH (ParentOfFH). Suggested by Nicola Salmoria and Matthias Scheler. Currently these packets only work with normal files and files in archives, they don't work with the extra icons the handler produces nor with the backdrop-file. -ARCHandler now adds a '/' to TEMPDIR when there wasn't one (LhA needs this). Suggested by Tattoo Mabonzo. -ARCHandler no longer uses LhA to extract uncompressed files (`-lh0-'), this should speed up access to archives in archives. -Added a new startup-option: ONLYEXT; when you use the ONLYEXT- option, ARCHandler will only check the filename-extension to decide on the filetype (suggested by Nicola Salmoria). -Some preparations for a writable filesystem and some general fixes. -ARCHandler now returns a `disk not validated'-error when there's something wrong with an archive or with LhA. -The handler now adds DISKINSERTED/DISKREMOVED events to the input stream when it's started/removed. This way, the Workbench notices the new volume faster. -Added two support commands for shell users, ToARC and FromARC. -The DISKICON and DRAWERICON arguments may now be upto 96 characters. -`Smarter' installation script. -Added ToARC and FromARC scripts for DiskMaster. =========================================================================== ·release 2.0 [37.290 (3.2.95)] -ARCHandler is no longer a real handler (one that lives in the 'L:' directory). Instead, ARCHandler is now a program, you can place it everywhere, even in your WbStartup directory. -The most visible change is the graphical user interface (GUI). The GUI is fully font/locale sensitive. Almost all of the settings can be changed (and saved) with this GUI (you no longer have to mess with the `Startup' field). The settings that can't be changed with the GUI are set while installing ARCHandler. The GUI has context sensitive online-help. -The internals of the handler have completly been rewritten. It now uses coroutines to implement a multi-threaded filesystem: there's no longer a need for extra processes to complete packets (an ACTION_FINDINPUT of an archive will still need an extra process since LhA can't be used in this multi-threaded environment, the same is true for the filerequesters). -ARCHandler is now also a commodity, with a `Hot Key' and a `Flush Key'. -Instead of scanning the DosList on every ACTION_EXAMINE_NEXT packet, ARCHandler now scans the DosList every x seconds (x can be changed). -ARCHandler also listens to DISKINSERT, DISKREMOVED events. Both events will trigger a rescan of the DosList. ARCHandler also checks the list of archives, when it finds an archive that exists on a removed volume, the archive will be freed if it was not in use (or if it is in use, it will be freed when the archive is no longer in use). -The `FlushARC' command is gone, there's now a `Flush Key' and a 'Flush' gadget. The use of the DISKINSERT and DISKREMOVED events should also replace some uses of this command. The `FlushARC' command will no longer work, please delete it if you still have it. -All the extra files that ARCHandler needs are now placed in one directory (default is `PROGDIR:ARCFiles'). This directory should contain a `Volume.info', resp. a `Drawer.info' if you want icons for volumes without a disk-icon, resp. icons for archives. -Non-archive files are now writable. The default volume `Disk.info' and the icon for the archives are also writable (the position information of the icon is ignored). -ACTION_LOCATE_OBJECT (Lock()) supports exclusive (ACCESS_WRITE) locks. -The filesystem now has full support for the following packets: ACTION_COPY_DIR_FH; ACTION_EXAMINE_FH; ACTION_FH_FROM_LOCK; ACTION_PARENT_FH and ACTION_RENAME_DISK. It also has partial support for the following packets: ACTION_CHANGE_MODE; ACTION_FINDOUTPUT; ACTION_FINDUPDATE; ACTION_DELETE_OBJECT; ACTION_RENAME_OBJECT; ACTION_SET_COMMENT; ACTION_SET_DATE; ACTION_SET_OWNER; ACTION_SET_PROTECT; ACTION_SET_FILE_SIZE. -ARCHandler should now also work correctly on systems using the MultiUser FileSystem (muFS). I hope to add full MultiUser support in a future version. The only thing that has to be done is access-checking. ACTION_EXAMINE_OBJECT and ACTION_EXAMINE_NEXT should already return the correct protection/file owner, even for the virtual files (icons), these are always owned by root and are readable by all, but only changeable by root. -The ARCHandler archive contains NewIcons. You won't see these icons unless you have the NewIcons package installed. If you don't have the NewIcons package installed you can remove the `IM1' and `IM2' tooltypes. NewIcons was written by Nicola Salmoria, the artwork is based on work by Roger McVey. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ·future release -Fully writable filesystem, with the ability to create/change files in archives. -Support for more archive types (zip/zoo/tar/...). -Support for packed files (XPK/PowerPacker/Imploder/...). These are just some of the features I @{i}might @{ui} add to a future release. I don't guarantee that any of these features will ever be implemented (but I hope they will). If you've got any good ideas for a future release let me know.