Subject: execing gzipped files (was Re: Netpliance Iopener booted with NetBSD...)
To: None <port-i386@netbsd.org, current-users@netbsd.org>
From: der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
List: current-users
Date: 03/23/2000 15:34:52
>>>    % gzip -9 hello
>>>    % ./hello.gz
>>>    Hello world

> [W]hile there's no reason that *all* architectures shouldn't benefit
> from this neat hack, it does require putting gzip in the kernel.

That was my first thought too.

Now I'm not so sure.  Couldn't ld.so or ld.elf_so or whatever it's
called these days handle forking gunzip?  Or Am I Missing Something
(tm)?

> it probably kills demand paging though.  :)

I daresay. :)  And machines so cramped for disk space that they have to
resort to this trick are likely to be the ones shortest on swap. :(

					der Mouse

			       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
		     7D C8 61 52 5D E7 2D 39  4E F1 31 3E E8 B3 27 4B