Re: WANTED: Information on Apple II copy protection-- Binary II & Binscii

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

PetScii writes ...

> .... 
> I've got a program to add .BXY files to a .DSK apple II image. I then use
> CopyII+ to copy the .BXY file to a proDos image. The I've got a copy of Binscii
> to uncompress the .BXY file, but theres a Shrinkit file inside. The problem is
> that every time I try to use shrinkit, it crashes on me!
> ....

     A .BXY file is supposed to be a Shrinked file to which a Binary II
header is added. A Binary II header is a small chunk of bytes which an
Apple II telecom program may add (if the option is set) in order to
preserve file type information about the file. The receiving Apple II
telecom program can automatically remove the Binary II header (if this
option is set) and the file will show up with the correct ProDOS file
type.

     One of ShrinkIt's nice features is that it does not need for an
.SHK file to have the correct file type in order to unShrink the file.
Since ShrinkIt has become the standard format for most Apple II file
uploads, Binary II is not necessary. Since Binary II is an Apple II
feature which PC telecom wares do not know about, it is, mainly, just a
bother on today's internet.

     Binscii is different from Binary II. Binscii translates a file into
text form. It is even more outdated and more of a bother than Binary II.

     Most files should be uploaded to modern A2 ftp sites as either
plain ShrinkIt files with no Binary II header or (if they are supposed
to be readable on-line) as plain Text files. 

     As for .BXY files, you should not need to run Binscii on a .BXY
file because they are not supposed to be binscii-ed. Both 8-bit ShrinkIt
and GS-ShrinkIt can remove the Binary II header and unShrink a .BXY
file.



Rubywand