PPLoadSeg 1.0 User Manual

                                 May 17, 1991



Preface
=======

     The programs and files in this distribution are freely distributable,
but are also Copyright (c) Nico François.  They may be freely distributed as
long as no more than a nominal fee is charged to cover time and copying costs.
     No commercial usage is permitted without written permission from the
author.  Everything in this distribution must be kept together, in original
unmodified form.
     The above is generally known as freeware.

     If you have suggestions or remarks about this program, or if you find
any bugs, please let me know.

     Write to the following address:

                                Nico François
                                Corbielaan 13
                                B-3060 Bertem
                                BELGIUM


Contents
========

1. An introduction

2. Usage


1. An introduction
==================

     Yet another PowerPacker support utility.  If you don not know what
PowerPacker is I suggest you check out the shareware version on Fish disk #253
or buy the (much improved) commercial version from UGA, JumpDisk or your local
dealer.

     This program will add a little magic to your Amiga.  It allows you to
crunch libraries, devices, printer drivers, fonts, etc. with PowerPacker while
they will still remain 100% functional.  It also allows you to crunch programs
as data files (so without a decrunch header) while you will still be able to
run them.  Black magic ?  No.  Patch magic :-)

     The idea is not new.  The Imploder has provided the facility for a while,
as lots of people pointed out to me.  It was therefore (naturally) a much
heard suggestion for "the next version of" PowerPacker.  Well, here it is,
_without_ a new version of PowerPacker!

     It is advised to copy PPLoadSeg to C: and install it as the first
command in your startup-sequence.  PPLoadSeg requires powerpacker.library so
install this in Libs: if you haven't done so already.
     An installation icon has been provided to do the things mentioned
above automatically, just double-click it.

     Once installed PPLoadSeg takes up no more than 480 bytes of your
precious memory.  I doubt that this will cause much memory problems :-)

     PPLoadSeg is compatible with and supports Kickstart & Workbench 2.0.


2. Usage 
========

     Usage is a doddle.  You have to do absolutely nothing!  You may crunch
libraries, devices, printer drivers, fonts and they will be loaded like
nothing happened (except that you will have gained a lot of space on your
disks).  The only thing you have to do is crunch them as command files, but
save then as *DATA* files!  Do not append '.pp' to the file name, so overwrite
the original file with the crunched one.

     PPLoadSeg patches LoadSeg (as you might have guessed).  LoadSeg is a
function in dos.library that is used to load most system things, like
libraries and devices.  PPLoadSeg replaces LoadSeg with a function that
knows about PowerPacked files.  This new improved LoadSeg will recognize and
decrunch crunched files and hand them over to DOS like they were loaded
normally and nothing extraordinary happened.

     The Workbench loads programs using LoadSeg, so it is possible to save
programs that will be loaded from Workbench as data files (no decrunch
header!).  A lot of shells (like the AmigaDOS 2.0 shell) will also load
commands using LoadSeg, so here you can save crunched commands as data as
well.  Sadly the standard AmigaDOS 1.3 shell does NOT use LoadSeg.

     It won't hurt to experiment!  If you try to crunch something and it turns
out it isn't loaded using LoadSeg the program loading the crunched file will
simply complain (if it is written correctly!) and no harm will be done.  Just
decrunch the file and everyhting will be ok again.

NOTE: - PPLoadSeg is intelligent about the way it patches LoadSeg.  If you
        run other programs that patch LoadSeg it is possible they will crash
        if they are run after PPLoadSeg.  Note that this is not PPLoadSeg's
        fault!  PPLoadSeg should therefore be run AFTER these commands by
        putting these commands BEFORE PPLoadSeg in your startup-sequence.
        Utilities that might patch LoadSeg are e.g. linkvirus detectors.
      - PPLoadSeg has been succesfully tested with: libraries, devices,
        printer drivers, keymaps, fonts, and _some_ handlers.
      - As said above it is suggested that you crunch as a command file and
        save as a data file.  It is possible to crunch AND save as data, but
        there is a small risk in that case.  PowerPacker does not support all
        hunks (e.g. debug hunks) and by crunching as a command file you make
        sure PowerPacker will be able to handle all hunks in the file.
        The next version of PowerPacker will have a special setting for
        crunching libraries and devices.
      - On Kickstart 2.0 PPLoadSeg will also patch NewLoadSeg.
      - Don't try to crunch 'powerpacker.library'!  Figure out for yourself
        why not :-)


                           As always, I hope you find this program useful!


                              PROGRAM HISTORY:

*****************************************************************************
VERSION 1.0

     First release.

*****************************************************************************

PPLoadSeg 1.0 written by Nico François (Yes, Nico is my first name :-)

(c) 1991 Nico François / PowerPeak

                                   //
                       Thanks to \X/ Amiga for being the best computer ever !