[svlug] bzip2 code and license

[J C Lawrence]

On 23 Nov 1999 17:03:10 -0800 
Chris Waters <xtifr at dsp.net> wrote:

> The third downside of bzip2 is that much of the *NIX world is
> still using compress, because it's still really a (the?) standard.
> If bzip2 challenges gzip's position as a newer standard, it may
> actually harm the acceptance levels of *both* programs.

Precisely.  The fact that gzip can read old-style compress (16bit
and 32bit -- a charming incompatability minefield that caught many)
compressed files is the real cherry.  About the only thing that
could persuade me to consider using bzip2 for any purpose would be
if it satisfied the all following:

  GNU tar supported it as part of the 'z' option.

  It could also read and process 16bit and 32bit old-style
compressed files, gzip files, and its own bzip2 files.

  libzip supports it so that applications that process gzip
compressed files get it for free.

'till then its just not worth it.  The gains are present and
irrelevant.  And no, I don't use it to compress my kernels either.

-- 
J C Lawrence                              Internet: claw at kanga.nu
----------(*)                            Internet: coder at kanga.nu
...Honorary Member of Clan McFud -- Teamer's Avenging Monolith...

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