Re: GZ, What compression is this?

[rubywand@aol.com (RUBYWAND)]

In article <52um84$gpt@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, krinibar@aol.com (Krinibar)
writes:

>
>I have downloaded a bunch of files for the Apple II lately that are in a
>format called GZ.  I understand it is some variation of Zip but I don't
>have a translator for it on my GS?  Does anyone know where I can find
one?
> None of my Mac or GS conversion or decompression routines seem to be
able
>to do anything with them.
>
>

     Yes; Asimov files, mod files, and some others are, often, in GZ
format. If you download the files to a PC, you can use the Windows version
of PKZip (WinZip) to unzip the file. Usually, an Asimov GZ image file will
end up as a 143k DSK file. The file may be moved to your Apple via NULL
modem if you wish to convert it to Apple-readable diskette form.

     If you download a GZ file to your Apple you can use GZPK to convert
it from PC-zip form to a zip format which (according to the GZPK docs) can
be unzipped via PMPUnzip 2.0 or Angel.

     I found GZPK under the file name gzpk.txt in the new AOL archive on
Ground at ftp://ground.isca.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/upload/AOL/. (Thanks to
Charles Turley for the info on the AOL archive!)  The file gzpk.txt is a
binscii file. You can convert it to a SHK file using GScii; probably,
BINscii will work, too. The result, gz2pkz.shk, unshrinks using GSHK into
the utility plus docs, source code, and an icon. Using GZPK and PMPUnzip
2.0 on your Apple, the GZ file (at least, one from Asimov) should end up
as a DSK file.

     DSK files are images of Apple diskettes used by emulators like
AppleWin to run A2 wares on the PC. On an Apple II, DSK files can be
converted to diskettes using DSK2file. (Look for dsk2file30 at
ftp://apple2.caltech.edu/zocalo/pub/apple2/ under emulators or utils.)  


Rubywand