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Disk image formats
Authored by: VRic on Jul 21, '03 09:06:14AM
Apple DiskCopy 4.2: very old uncompressed format, mostly useless now. Maybe very very old systems can't run DiskCopy 6 and would require that (provided you find the old DiskCopy 4 app, which didn't come with the system). At least System 7 and above can run the last DiskCopy 6 app.

NDIF: Apple DiskCopy 6. The best (can provide compression, mounts under X-9-8-7-...) In fact I still wonder why Apple needed the new dmg format which doesn't even provide better compression than NDIF (if dmg had the level of compression ShrinkWrap achieved using StuffIt Engine, then nobody would ever need "archive" formats like zip or sit, which require decompression before using their content). If the dmg compression level is variable, I would welcome any suggestion to easily tweak it (I think PathFinder gives such options).
NDIF read/write: it's in the name, uncompressed
NDIF read only: uncompressed but sized to the actual content
NDIF compressed: read-only and compressed, the archive format, ideal for storage and distribution of mac programs and data
NDIF compressed (KenCode): not sure, same as above with added CRC check?

The other formats are new .dmg images, which don't mount under OS 9 (some of those may mount using the unreleased DiskCopy 6.4 and 6.5b11 apps).

By the way, ShrinkWrap definitely left room for a killer shareware if someone was willing to write it: something that would manage dmg images better under OS X and 9, and other platforms while we're at it, would have the potential to replace the whole compressor/archive market, which is based on obsolete impractical concepts.

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Disk image formats
Authored by: gvitale on Jul 22, '03 12:25:39PM

Thanks so much; btw, where did you get that info?



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Source ? No source.
Authored by: VRic on Jul 24, '03 09:46:42AM

Mostly from the top of my head, where it got by trial and error I guess.

I spent some time a while back researching what disk image formats worked in what situations (there are MANY when you combine all the container / compression / encryption options you could get from legacy apps or ShrinkWrap).

And I've been trying to remember where I put the resulting chart ever since ;-)



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