Hi David,

 DW> In a recent message from you which came
 DW> this way, you cast some aspersions as
 DW> to potential problems arising from LyNX
 DW> files.  One of the archivers we use
 DW> here is "ULTLYNX3.C64", I'm not looking
 DW> forward to changing these over to another archive

I can appreciate you not looking forward to changing them all. I was in
exactly the same position when I had 100's of lynx'd files on my BBS
(now defunct).
I eventually did it anyway.

 DW> what's the gremlin in LyNX?

Hmm, where to start  :-)

Firstly, there are several different versions of Lynx, not all by the
same author and not all compatible with each other.

At least one of the versions contains a "trojan horse" in that it will
corrupt the directory track of a disk.

Other versions cause the same corruptions but unintentionally.

Many programs archived with LYNX will fail to dissolve after a modem
transmission (This is one one the main reasons I refuse to d/load any
lynx'd file..  at has a good chance of being an entire waste of time).

That is about it really.
The disk corruptions are the biggest headache. I found that it
somehow managed to corrupt the entire directory of my hard drive
(several times), despite the fact that I was actually using a floppy at
the time.
It corrupts floppys with equal ease, but you don't lose as much data.

A lesser headache was caused by the MANY "complaints" I had that
such-and-such a file failed to dissolve correctly. Sometimes they would
download and dissolve ok, othertimes they wouldn't. (It took me ages
before I isolated that Lynx was the culprit.

Lynx is also a poor choice because it offers no compression. This is
particularily important for STD callers with slow modems. (Not to
mention the needless disk space it is wasting).

                   ----------------------------

Having said that, if you do insist on using LYNX there are a couple of
things that you can do to lessen the disk corruptions.
first and formost, ensure that before you lynx files you format a new
disk (a full format, not just newing an already formatted disk). Next
you must file copy the files to this disk for linking.
NEVER have USR or REL files on the disk you are LYNXing.. not even as
name seperators.
Before making them available for download file copy the lynxed file to
another freshly formatted disk and dissolve it. If the block count
between the original and the newly dissolved files are off by even one
block then you run the risk of a corruption or failed transfer.

If *you* do this then you will eliminate some of the problems, but you
still have no control over LYNX'd files that others create and upload.
(I actually banned Lynx'd uploads to my system in the end).

You should also advise the downloaders to ensure they use a freshly
formatted disk before trying to dissolve the files, and to turn EVERY
drive OFF before attempting to unLYNX.

 DW> The main alternative I would have in mind
 DW> would be "ARKIVE.V20" for

This is probably better, but still not my choice of packer.

 DW> multi-files and "ZIP-UNZIP II"(my
 DW> favourite) for disk files...have you got any

ZIP/UNZIP is probably the best for entire disks but it's original
purpose is to transfer copy protected disks via modem. It never
was/intended for every day usage.

 DW> recommendations?

Where possible SFX is always the best choice. It offers excellent
compression, it is pretty quick to both create and dissolve and is VERY
reliable.  Whats more an SFX file isn't computer specific. The same
file can be dissolved on a C64 or a C128 in C128 mode.
The drawback here is that SFX's can only be *created* on a C128 and an
REU is required.

SDA (Self Dissolving ARC) is my next recommendation. Similar reasons to
the above. Drawback is compression not quite as good, and they can only
be dissolved on the same system they were created (C64 or C128)

Larger files (over 200 blocks compressed, which is about the limit for
self dissolving files) I'd always go for LHZ for C128 files, or ARC for
C64 files.

If you really don't care for compression then LIBRARY is probably a far
better choice than LYNX.  Just as easy to use, but doesn't require the
precautions needed for lynx.

 DW> Look forward to hearing from ya

No problem, and whilst I don't *expect* you to follow my
recommendations I do urge you to seriously think about it. After all,
it wasn't an easy task for me to convert all my LYNX'ed files to other
formats and I certainly didn't do it just for the hell of it. Things
did *appear* to be going well with lynx for quite a while.. it really
was my favourite archiver. But the long term headaches it caused me
made me regret my decision.
I only offer my hindsight to you BEFORE you get too deeply involved
with LYNX.

 DW> (P.S. Is there a "tiff" going on in this echo?)

Tiff ?   Nah...  just a slight difference of opinion between myself and
Artie..  Tis nothing new..  we actually started of on the wrong footing
ever since he got his first modem (well, since he started accessing the
fido echo's anyway).

It's a sorta "game" I play, Some people are just "fun"
to annoy. Artie
happens to be one of them. He bites so well, and in our latest episode
he really did leave himself wide open for me to back him into a corner.
I simply couldn't resist the temptation.

I'm sure that once this particular thread has been dropped we'll be
back on civil speaking terms again. I certainly have no animosity
towards him. He does a great job with CN (and Network BBS) and I really
should pay him the compliments he deserves in this regard. After all I
generally hold 95% of what he says and does in the highest regard. It
is only the odd 5% that I comment on though, and from his POV I can see
how he perceives this to be my going out of my way to pick fault. In
many ways this is true. I never mean for him to take any of it
personally, but he does anyway, and this only encourages me more. ;-)

Cheers
Rod

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