================== | EPU 1.4 | ================== (Documentation regarding library calls updated 7-4-93 by mgdavis@wyvern.com for increased clarity) Stacker like program - CAN DOUBLE YOUR (HARD)DISKS CAPACITY DESCRIPTION: After installing EPU to any Device(HardDisk,Floppy,Rad etc) every file which will be written to the device will be compressed and when any compressed file is read by any application it will be autmaticaly decompresed. EPU is very easy to install or remove, its size is very small, can work with many compress libraries like lh.library or xpk(NUKE,...). The file sizes are not limited by memory, (maximal file size is about 1GB). There are no differences or limitations when you are working with installed epu or without it(of course it can be slower if the CPU is slow.) NEW FEATURES: 1. This version runs on ALL machines and with ALL OS (The previous 1.0 version didn't work on A3000/A4000)-KS1.2 was not tested. 2. Now EPU can work with xpk sublibraries like NUKE etc. EPU consists of this files: EPU1.handler \ EPU2.handler > put them into your l: directory EPU3.handler / EPU0.library \ EPU1.library > put them into your libs: directory lh.library / EPU its a CLI command,so you can put it in c: directory First thing,you have to do is assign EPU system to device you want to work to. Let's say you want to work with your rad: disk. You will simply type in cli: EPU device rad (do not type ':' after device name) Now when some task will write to rad: the file will be compressed, when another task will read this file then will receive the file decompressed. Now you can do any I/O operation with files in rad: (read/write/seek/close/ open/examine even an unlimitet number of task can read/write into one file(in epu compress format) in the same time!!! ) and after decompressing it the file will be the same like you have never been using EPU,but you saved a lot of disk space. It also mean that you can simply join file to compressed file by >> shell redirection. The file size is not limited by memory because only a small part of file is in memory when working with it( The theoretic maximum size is 1.2GB). The EPU command syntax: EPU DEVICE name [SAVE/NOSAVE] [LOAD/NOLOAD] [EXAMINE/NOEXAMINE] [NoExNext/ExNext] [LMODE/HMODE] [BLOCK number] [TABLE Number] [LIBRARY name] [INFO/CHNG/KILL] DEV is the synonym of DEVICE LIB is the synonym of LIBRARY options: NoSave - when creating new file under epu, it will not be compresed (simply packet ACTION_FINDOUTPUT is ignored); [file will not be compressed,when saving] Save - default option : file will be compresed every time. NoLoad - when accessing file compressed by EPU system, it will not be decompressed(simply packet ACTION_FINDINPUT is ignored); Usefull when EPU is still instaled and you want to copy some EPU file( epu file is file which is in epu compress format) to another place without decompressing. Load - default option : Epu file will be decompressed every time. Examine - Default option : when examining EPU file(for example list c:dir) you will get its virtual file size( that mean the size what you get after decompressing). NoExam - when examining EPU file you will get its real size on the disk( simply packet ACTION_EXAMINE is ignored); ExNext - Default option : when examining directory contents ( f.e. list c:) you will get virtual file sizes of files in this directory. NoExNext - when examining directory contents you will get real file sizes of files in this directory (simply packet ACTION_EXNEXT is ignored); Hmode - Default option: when file is saved (opened by opt MODE_NEWFILE) EPU system will look whether the first compressed part is bigger than before compressing and if so EPU will not create standart EPU file but will save it as normal file. That mean when saving once compressed file it will not be compressed again. Lmode- when saving file, it will allways be created in standart EPU format. parameters: BLOCK - sets block size for file which can be between 2 - 60 Kb. Default size is 10. When a small size is choosen you will need less memory,but speed and compression ratio can be worse. When you set BLOCK 20 you will need 2*20Kb for opened file. TABLE - sets maximum of blocks for one opened file. Default size is 1000 (can be betwee 500 - 20000 ). So when block size is 20 and table is 1000 the file size can be maximal 20 MB large ( 20*1000*1000 Bytes) LIBRARY - default epu0: Here can be specified which compression/decompression library will be used to pack the file. There are only two libs in the package(epu0 and epu1). example: lib epu0 or lib epu1 BUT do not forget that epu can now work with all XPK packer libs like NUKE(the best library) HUFF SHRI and so on. example: lib NUKE or lib SHRI ....... This libs are not included but you can obtain them from XPK package(amiga.physik.unizh.ch or Fish disk no. 754 etc.). Epu does not support libs which require password. * Addundum- Due to flaw in EPU program, compressor libraries must be in LIBS: directory although the XPK method was designed for them to be only in the LIBS:compressors directory. Library assignments and changes MUST call the library using capital letters in the command line. Examples: WRONG: Epu dev lib nuke WRONG: EPU DEV LIB XPKNUKE WRONG: EPU DEV LIB xpkNUKE RIGHT: Epu dev lib NUKE or RIGHT: EPU DEV LIB NUKE The values of TABLE,LIBRARY and BLOCK are only used when creating new EPU file, when opening old epu file, the values in its header are used. comms: Info - gives current epu setings for given device(if assigned by EPU) when for example will be typed: EPU device rad info it will print something like this: STATUS: LOAD / SAVE / EXAM / EXNEXT / HMODE BLOCK: 10 TABLE: 1000 LIBRARY: epu0 Chng - current setings of epu can be changed. for ex. EPU dev rad NoSave Load Block 20 chng will change block size to 20 and sets options to NoSave,Load; the other setings will be unchanged. Kill - Removes EPU from device. for ex. EPU dev rad kill will remove EPU system from rad device. When some files are opened under EPU when killing it, the epu will wait till all this files will be closed and then will kill itself(in this waiting time can't be epu installed again). When no command is given epu will try to install to given device. --------------------------- There can appear 2 new I/O error messages when working under epu: 1) ERROR_BAD_FILE - its number is 3020 . This error means that the epu file is not valid(damaged etc.). 2) ERROR_OPEN_UNPOSSIBLE -its number is 3021 . This error means that the file can't be opened because of there is no mem to allocate buffers or epu can't open compress library which the file requires. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Recomp In the util directory you can find program Recomp. It can help you to compress the files on your (Hard)disk or recompress them by another library.It's simple but can be usefull. Read the Recomp.doc . ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Notices: EPU cli command can be loaded resident. The EPU handlers are loaded resident to memory after first using of EPU command. Instead of the name of device you can type name of volume, then the epu will be installed to the device in which the volume is inserted. It's usefull when epu command is used in startup sequence and we do not know which drive will be used to boot. Epu do not change any library vector(so others programs which access device directly ,without using dos.library, are also handled) When the file is compressed(decompressed) the device is not blocked and can be used by anothers programs. Example how compress your Workbench disk to save about 300Kb space(size of saved space depends on library you have used to compress files). You must first compress all files(Icons/libraries/progs. etc.) to blank disk. You can't only compress files that are used before executing startup sequence(that is system-configuration and startup-sequence) they must be uncompressed. The last step is to change the startup-sequence. At the first line you must write: EPU dev volume-name And now you can boot from this disk. Of course you can compress any others disks or hard disk by this way. I used this method to compress Workbench 1.3.(epu1.library used). After compressing all files and installing epu about 300KB remained free on the disk.That mean I was able to store about 400 KB large files from Extras disk on Workbench disk !!!!!!!! epu0.library - this library is based on LZSS algor.. That mean the compression is slow,but decompression is fast enought.The compression ratio is also nothing special. epu1.library - it is the interface between epu and lh.library. the compression ratio is very good(better than PowerPacker) ,the speed too. [lh.library is the product of O. Barthel & P. Krekel , you can find it on Fish disk with documentation] I SUGGEST USING THE NUKE LIBRARY. IT'S THE BEST IN TERMS OF COMPRESSION 45%, BUT RDCN IS FASTER, ALTHOUGH THE COMPRESSION IS ONLY 32%. Testing: EPU works with 1.3 and 2.0 3.0 filesystem,fastfilesystem,rad and other standart devices. EPU does not currently work with 2.0. ram: device. Do not also install epu to devices which do not support Seek and Lock packets(PIPE,NULL). WARNING: You are using this program on your own risk. You can send bugs,new ideas,opinions to this internet e-mail address jara@adelard.dcs.muni.cs jara@lion.ics.muni.cs or you can write to: J. Mechacek Mutenicka 7 628 00 Brno Czech Republic Europe DISTRIBUTABILITY: Can be distributed as shareware - all unchanged files must be included. The original EPU14.lha file can be posted by e-mail or uploaded without any permission. How to register =============== Epu 1.4 is SHAREWARE , so if you use it you should send US $20 ------ There is also an special offer how to get the Epu2.0 which will not be Shareware: ----------- - if you pay $20 to 30 October 1993 you will receive Epu2.0 free. ( I prefer to send it by e-mail so don't forget to write it ) - if you pay $20 to 30 June 1993 you will receive all Epu versions which will be released - but you must have an e-mail address : the Epu2.0 you will receive on the disk if you do not have e-mail address but the next versions will be only e-mailed. Fill and send(e-mail) me this registration form: ------------------------------------------------- Name: Address: e-mail: Date when you sent the registration fee: (Hardware): (Notices): ------------------------------------------------- Where to send the fee: 1) Account Name: Jaroslav Mechacek,Mutenicka 7 Account Number: 34278-314558-621 Bank address: Commercial Bank Brno-mesto nam. Svobody 21 631 31 Brno Czech Republic Europe 2) Send the fee in insured registered letter to this address: J. Mechacek Mutenicka 7 628 00 Brno Czech Republic Europe DO NOT USE ANY OTHER WAY