🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Nov.3.16.11.31.1992.24502@gandalf.rutgers.edu> rgonzal@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Ralph Gonzalez) writes:
>imran@panix.com (Imran Anwar) writes [about Stuffit SpaceSaver]:
>
>>I do not know how to get rid of it as when I removed it from the damned
>>system I could not access the files it had compressed.  It is so
>>time consumuing that it will take over the machine and not STOP even if
>>stop is clicked.  
>>It DELAYS ALL program operations as even the smallest
>>resouirce that the running program needs is compressed and has to be
>>expandd.  

>I think it decompresses all resources of an application before running
>it, so there should be no delay once it launches. As you say, it is
>probably wise to label commonly-used applications so they won't be
>compressed. On System 7, you can use Labels instead of the "big" naming.
>
	Although that is true that once an application is launched it will
run at "normal" speed - rather than being slowed down during (posssible) 
critical operations, the real reason why we decompress to disk is for
compatibility.  
	There are some applications (for example Canvas) which do not take
to have themselves compressed with other compression softawre, but SpaceSaver
has no problem with Canvas since by the time Canvas (or whatever) launches
it is running in its normal state.

>Try installing Magic Menu. Then you can decompress your whole disk
>in one operation by selecting the disk and choosing "Expand" from the
>Finder menu. Actually, I'm not sure if this goes into all the folders
>or if it only goes to a certain depth, so you may have to Expand a lot
>of subfolders. 
>
	Expanding from Magic will go down ALL levels that are present!

>>The program does not keep track of what files are being used or not
>>That would be a better approach to stuffing stuff, nt just file creation
>>date, as all daily use applications I have eg WP, 123, Photosdhop. etc
>>obviously have dates older than the date/"before" period qualifier in
>>SS.
>
>I agree that it would be really nice if SpaceSaver kept a list of files
>which were accessed, rather than relying on the Finder's "modification"
>date, which doesn't necessarily change for applications.
>
	We agree too - but that would take up disk space (since the MacOS
does not store that info) - just the thing we are trying to save ;).  Would
you (users) we willing to make that tradeoff?  Could we take up some of your
precious disk space (say 50 bytes per file) in exchange for being albe to have
access dates on files??

>It caused Kermit to crash when I tried to transfer a compressed file.
>The solution? Label (or rename) the folder containing Kermit so it
>won't be compressed. Move files to this folder before uploading. (When
>you move a file into a folder labeled this way, the file is automatically
>expanded.) 
>
	Really?  I can't of any reason why it would crash trying to tranfer
a compressed file.  Hmmm...

>I also found it necessary to label the folder containing
>the modules for my copy of the Darkside screensaver to prevent it from
>crashing. I imagine the same applies to AfterDark? 
>
	Again, I wonder why that is.  Darkside doesn't do anything strange
when it opens up its Faders - SS should decompress them just fine.  AD modules
(currently) have to be in the System Folder so that is not an issue.

>Also I had to label
>the secondary System folder on my other hard disk to keep it from 
>getting compressed. (Spacesaver knows not to compress the ACTIVE 
>System folder. 
>
	That's a bug in 1.0.1 which is fixed in 1.0.2!

>Note that just labelling something doesn't seem to
>cause all files within it to be expanded if they were already compressed.
>I think you have to Expand them manually in some cases -- not sure why.
>
	That too is a bug in 1.0.1 which is fixed in 1.0.2 - it will expand
all files when labelling something as "big".

>I forwarded some of my complaints and suggestions to Alladin but
>haven't heard back from them. 
>
	I haven't seen them, and would LOVE to.  Feel free to send all 
comments, suggestions, complaints, etc. about StuffIt SpaceSaver DIRECTLY to
me (at this address) since I am the engineer who would end up dealing with
them and I want to see what people have to say!!!

-- 
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Leonard Rosenthol			Internet: 	leonardr@netcom.com
Director of Advanced Technology		AppleLink:	MACgician
Aladdin Systems, Inc.			GEnie:		MACgician