Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 12:10:45 -0600 (CST) From: mailing list account <lists@argus.flash.net> To: obrien@cs.ucdavis.edu (David E. O'Brien) Cc: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: FBSD 2.1 Message-ID: <199601161810.MAA00346@argus.flash.net> In-Reply-To: <9601161056.AA10894@toadflax.cs.ucdavis.edu> from "David E. O'Brien" at Jan 16, 96 02:56:02 am
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> > Other than that I think we're pretty safe. We're *much* safer with
> > using Zip code than shipping the sources to BSD compress around.
> >
>
> Why is that? What is wrong with the sources to BSD compress?
> Call me stupid, but aren't they covered by the BSD copyright? In
> /usr/src/usr.bin/compress/doc/NOTES it suggests that /usr/bin/compress
> should be safe as far as this goes. Have I misunderstood?
I know this one!
1). compress is too slow.
2). compress requires too much core.
3). gzip gives signifigant reduction in size over compress.
4). since someone mentioned sperry earlier, i believe that the algolrithm in
compress is exactly what they patented, gzip is a modified LZ, and thus
not covered by their patent. According to title 17 usc, if you merely
modify a sooper-dooper patented doohickey you can do whatever you want with
it.
5). gzip is based on the implode/explode from pkzip, the algolrithms for which
have always been in the public domain, and were put there by phil katz from
the earliest days of pkzip [please see appnote.txt or something
similarly named in the pkzip distribution], i seem to remember 'will always
be in the public domain' somewhere in the text. his intention was to get
market share by not playing it like systems enhancement associates did.
Jim
--
All opinions expressed are mine, if you | "I will not be pushed, stamped,
think otherwise, then go jump into turbid | briefed, debriefed, indexed, or
radioactive waters and yell WAHOO !!! | numbered!" - #1, "The Prisoner"
jbryant@argus.flash.net - FlashNet Communications - Ft. Worth, Texas
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