>    > 	Invalid compressed data--format violated 1
>    Are you sure that the file is a binary file with the gzipped data in the
>    data fork of the file?
> Yes.  It works with uncompressed tar files, which strongly suggests bugs
> in the inflation code.

In the version of the ZInstaller I made in early '94 (which never made
it out), I had the same problem.  It seems to depend on where you compress
it.  Where is the gzipped tar file from?

> Well, this morning I sifted through the sources more carefully, and got
> the booter to build under MPW, just for grins.  As you might imagine, MPW C
> found many sins that Think C overlooks!

It's nice to do checking in MPW, but please make sure that you can still
compile the tools with Think C, since that's what most of the original
Alice members seem to have around.  (e.g. I don't have MPW...)

> Here's a proposal for a new Mac-side source organization that puts all
> the various source bits for both programs into a single folder:

This looks good, but don't forget the basic rule of Alice Group
development; "hack it until it only crashes less than 50 % of the time,
and only then go back and fill in the 'About' dialog box with
rotating 3-D text."

>    have the actual install process boot with a RAM disk loaded and install
>    from w/in a running kernel or a mini-partition loaded into the swap
>    partition as a 1-4MB "install" filesystem.  Go to it!
> Uh, I don't understand the advantage of this change... for speed perhaps?

It allows you to use NetBSD gzip and tar directly instead of re-writing
the code.  This is something we discussed re: MacOS filesystems in
VFS.  Then you could boot NetBSD, mount your Mac filesystem, and then
use NetBSD tools to install, which means
	a) richer toolset
	b) don't have to crowbar UNIX code into MacOS
	c) don't have to update MacOS utilities everytime the kernel
		ufs source changes.

		-Brad
-- 
Brad Grantham, grantham@tenon.com ** Diet caffeine-free Coca-Cola is really
just brown water with bubbles. ** I've learned from a little CMOS design
that soldering irons really are VERY hot. ** A backflip a day keeps the
doldrums away! ** CUSeeMe : 192.83.246.41 ** http://acm.vt.edu/~grantham/