Re: tlug: Compressing files on Linux

[Rex Walters <rex@example.com>]

On Tue, Jun 23, 1998 at 10:42:23PM -0400, Gavin Walker wrote:
> I don't have an Internet connection at home, only at work. I've
> downloaded a 2Mb RPM file, and want to compress/split it and take it
> home on a couple of floppies. Is there an easy way to do this?

Just use gzip and (gnu) split:

    [rex@example.com xxx]$ ls -l
    total 2192
    -rw-rw-r--   1 rex      rex       2231405 Jun 24 12:05 file

    [rex@example.com xxx]$ gzip file

    [rex@example.com xxx]$ ls -l
    total 2152
    -rw-rw-r--   1 rex      rex       2187409 Jun 24 12:05 file.gz

    [rex@example.com xxx]$ split -b 1400k file.gz

    [rex@example.com xxx]$ ls -l
    total 4312
    -rw-rw-r--   1 rex      rex       2187409 Jun 24 12:05 file.gz
    -rw-rw-r--   1 rex      rex       1433600 Jun 24 12:06 xaa
    -rw-rw-r--   1 rex      rex        753809 Jun 24 12:07 xab

After splitting the files, copy xaa, xab, ... onto individual floppies.

When you get home, copy from the floppies onto your home system, then
type "cat x?? | gunzip > file; rm x??".

Sneakernet is sometimes your only option.  It still amazes me that DOS &
windows don't even have a "cat" program ("type" can't catenate
together multiple binary files if I remember correctly).

As always, "man" is your best friend.  "cat" is also occasionally useful.
Haven't found a use for "dog" yet with linux.  ;-)  (Awful name idea:
the next program someone writes to assist with man pages should be 
called "dog" -- "man's best friend").

Regards,
-- 
Rex
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