CPAN/ENDINGS --- FUNNY FILE ENDINGS AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEM The files in the CPAN have all kinds of curious endings (the parts after dots) and one must know what to do about them. The tools you need to run are marked like "this", inside double quotes, in the below list. Because CPAN is not just one place we cannot point you explicitly to the tools for your particular system, you have to locate them for your system, sorry. Try out whether your system already has them installed. If not, ask your local user support and/or search for them via the WWW search engines or the archie. Archives and/or Compressed/Packed .tar Tape ARchive (never mind the 'tape' part, historical reasons, disk will do just fine). Program called "tar" will help, "tar tvf foo.tar" will list the contents, "tar xvf foo.tar" will extract the contents. .Z compressed with "compress", "uncompress" to uncompress .gz compressed with "gzip", "gunzip" (or "gzip -d") to uncompress .uu UUencoded with "uuencode", "uudecode" to decode (note: the first line of the .uu file tells the name of the un-uuencoded file that will appear when you uudecode) .shar SHell ARchive: can be extracted in UNIX either with "unshar -c" or "unshar" or "sh". .zip PCish archive, "unzip -l foo.zip" to list the contents, "unzip -x foo.zip" to extract, "unzip -h" for help. .bin MacIntoshish archive, StuffIt should work. In UNIX a program called "mcvert" should work. .sit MacIntoshish archive, StuffIt should work. In UNIX a program called "unsit" should work. .hqx MacIntoshish archive, StuffIt should work. .zoo Amigaish/Atarish archive, zoo should work. .tgZ .tar.Z in disguise for DOS, see below for "MULTIPLE ENDINGS" .tgz .tar.gz ditto, ditto .taz .tar.gz ditto, ditto Code and/or Documentation .pl PerL: perl script, any Perl version .pm Perl Module: Perl 5 onwards code .pod Plain Old Documentation: perl documentation, quite readable as-is but if needed converters like pod2man, pod2html, exist in the Perl 5 distribution (CPAN/src/5.0/) .xs Perl eXtenSion code, please see the perlxs documentation coming with the Perl 5 distribution .man UNIX man(1) manual page format (nroff) .1 ditto .html HyperText Markup Language: the Web-speak .tex TeX or LaTeX formatted text .txt Text Graphics .xbm X11 BitMap, view with e.g. "xv" .gif Graphics Interchange Format, view with e.g. "xv" .ps PostScript: you probably have a laser printer that groks this and possibly have a previewer like ghostscript ("gs") that will display this on a screen .dvi DeVice Independent: TeX portable graphics display format: converters like "dvips" (DVI -> PostScript) and previewers like "xdvi" (X Window DVI) exist. "BUT I HAVE MULTIPLE ENDINGS..." The endings are recursive, work your way down from the right. .tar.Z First "uncompress", then "tar". Often mangled for DOSish systems as .tgZ, .tgz, or .taz. .tar.gz First "gunzip", then "tar". .uu.gz First "gunzip", then "uudecode". .shar.gz First "gunzip", then "unshar". Note 1: The GNU zip, "gunzip", "gzip -d", can uncompress both .Z and .gz gunzip foo.Z gunzip bar.gz Note 2: The GNU tar, often installed as "gnutar" or "gtar", can use "gunzip" if it can find it, one does not need to first uncompress and then "tar" but can instead do both in one sweep: gtar ztvf foo.tar.gz will list the contents of the gzipped foo.tar without having foo.tar in the disk. ---------- COMMON COMPRESSION FORMATS ON THE INTERNET Note: Unix commands listed here will work for the Internet provider called "World" --"world.std.com"in Brookline, MA. Not all of these programs may be installed on other Unix systems, and it is possible that some small command differences may exist. A more complete file of compression formats is available by FTP at the site ftp.cso.uiuc.edu in the directory /doc/pcnet/compression, which we include for ready reference. This file is intended as a quickstart, listing only the more common types found. For Macintosh users, we suggest obtaining 'StuffIt Expander' which can handle most types of file compression. It can be found on World in /src/mac/archivers/ ****** Compressed UNIX files end in .Z Unpack them on a Unix system with uncompress filename.Z Extractor on the Mac: MacCompress Extractor on the PC: comprs16.arc ***** Tar-ed UNIX files end in .tar Unpack them on a Unix system with tar -xvf filename.tar Extractor on the Mac: Tar 4.0b Extractor on the PC: tar.zip ***** Files that end in .sit are in 'Stuffit' format Extractor on the Mac: StuffItLite307, Stuffit Delux, or Stuffit Extractor Extractor on the PC: unstuff.exe ***** Files that end in .cpt are in 'Compact Pro' format Extractor on the Mac: Compact Pro 1.34 or Stuffit Expander Extractor on the PC: EXT_PC10.arj ***** Files that end in .ARC come from the program ARC Unpack them on a Unix system with arc -xv filename.arc Extractor for the Mac: ArcMac1.3c Extractor for the PC: arc602.exe ***** Files that end in .ZIP come from the program ZIP Unpack them on a Unix system with unzip filename.zip Extractor on the Mac: ZipIt1.2.6 or UnZip 2.0 Extractor on the PC: pkz204g.exe ***** Files that end in .gz come from the program GNU ZIP Unpack them on a Unix system with gunzip filename Extractor on the Mac: MacGzip0.2 Extractor on the PC: gzip123.exe ***** Files that end in .ZOO come from the program ZOO Unpack them on a Unix system with zoo -x filename.zoo Extractor for the Mac: MacBooz2.1 Extractor for the PC: zoo210.exe ***** Here's a chart summarizing some file types the programs needed to extract them: Suffix Format UNIX Mac MSDOS ----------------------------------------------------------------- .Z Compress compress maccompress.sit.hqx comprs16.arc .sit Stuffit StuffItLite307 unstuff.exe .cpt Compact Compact Pro 1.34 .tar tar tar Tar 4.0b tar.zip .ARC ARC arc Arcmac.sit.hqx pk361.exe .ZIP ZIP zip Unzip-101.hqx pkz110.exe .ZOO ZOO zoo Maczoo-21.hqx booz21.zip .LZH LHarc lharc MacLHarc 0.41 lha213.exe MULTIPLE FORMATS If a file ends in multiple formats, work backwards from the end. For example, a file like this filename.tar.Z.hqx needs to be extracted with binhex, then uncompress. The tar file is extracted last. BINHEX Binhex is an pure text (ASCII) file convertion for non-text files that are sent over the Internet. Used almost exclusively for Macintosh, these files have a .hqx suffix and look like this: (This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0) :#8CTE'98HA"PFJ""8&"-9(P`-L%!!!!!!!!!@PBiX3!!!!!"!!!!9RJ!!&9i!!! $hJ(DI9Bb!32UI`%4I'B"!&iqm`(q2XKB,!%!q#fCE"@!#8CTE'98HA"PFJ)!!!" "8&"-9(P`-L%!!*`"J!!!!!!!!%&38%a8HA!b)3!!R!'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!TMX@h!!!!!!!!&T@0N[95`%`e'91r`!!!5!!!!!"6PErl%MR!aK(l[rX,#i !##KZ!!jq#L"-S#NJ9%2ZrrK3L#,B)YJ`,J!-Ca"63'F!!)j63'F!!-"J!!$+)&4 ++!!3ChC++!!4Ca4`!Mm!2`#SQdKZrrLSSDLHB!!!U%KZrrLSSdKZrrLSS8KZrrK `!`!!!!)!!!!!!!!!!!!#!TJ!!"Gd!!!!)$![!!4$l`!'-J$P5G,")&%LPdMR!1" b!&*)B"SNBA3!&"V5!Q3-P!&6!R!!F[pJ!K$D8FVrr&()rq4-h`F!%)%Z59*")&G etc etc Anywhere you see that .hqx suffix, you can be sure that is a Macintosh binary file. To unpack them with with Unix, use the command mcvert filename.hqx To unpack them on a PC, use the program /src/pc/mac/binhex13.zip (download to your PC and unzip it) Stuffit Expander We especially recommend the use of Stuffit Expander. It will not only extract Stuffit or Compact Pro files, but will extract them from binhex before doing so. In the Mac system 7, all you need to do is drag and drop. UUENCODED FILES Uuencoding is an pure text (ASCII) file convertion for non-text files that are sent over the Internet. A more general standard than binhex, these files may end in .uu, and they look like this: begin 644 yellowst.jpg M_]C_X``02D9)1@`!`0```0`!``#_VP!#``@&!@<&!0@'!P<)"0@*#!0-#`L+ M#!D2$P\4'1H?'AT:'!P@)"XG("(L(QP<*#JD>4V`H]!=94@].H^F&.WL>AT'7*MTPH+*WQ_;(//7*EJ-9-CG'062+_?)4\CZ9W!'TRP4] MOVQ4!%D9%G[Y8QDY4@KVO"AD[N,C?E39[94V,5"+>91R-_UREYU]1A0["!^# etc etc. The most common Unix tool for decoding such files is uudecode. Use it with the command uudecode filename.uu If there are any mail headers or other things before the actual beginning of the file, they must be deleted, or uudecode will not work. A better tool for decoding them in Unix is the program uuconvert, though it is not so common. If available on your machine, it is invoked with the command: uuconvert file.uu This will convert any uuencoded file to binary. It will strip out mail headers automatically, and even join multi-part uuencoded files that have been saved from mail messages. Let's say you have two files that are saved from mail messages. The command to join all and extract the binary is uuconvert one.uu two.uu ON THE MAC UULite is the best tool for extracting uuencoded files on the Mac. It can be easily used with drag and drop in system 7. ON THE PC UUdecode is the program to use for extracting uuencoded files on the PC. MIME ENCODED FILES MIME is the official proposed standard format for extended Internet electronic mail. The MIME format permits email to include enhanced text, graphics, audio, and more, in a standardized and interoperable manner. We have several MIME-aware mailers on The World, including "pine", "elm", and MH. With most other mail readers you can save the message and run it through a MIME unpacking program to process it. If you are using Pine, MIME messages look like this: Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 11:49:32 +0059 (EDT) From: Elizabeth Lear To: Elizabeth Lear Parts/attachments: 1 Shown 0 lines Text 2 167 KB File "Phantom.Z", "" ---------------------------------------- [Part 2, "" Attached file "Phantom.Z" 167KB] [Can not display this part. Use the "V" command to save in a file] Pine will walk you through detaching any file sent in MIME format. Messages look like this in your mail if you are not using Pine: This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. ---1068857083-1530273974-801243837:#1790 Content-Type: APPLICATION/octet-stream; name="Phantom.Z" Content-Transfer-Encoding: BASE64 Content-ID: Content-Description: H52QRuS8aQPizhs5bMiEqFPHTRk6C+eMCXEwzRs3Lt6EGeOizpg0LsqQqbPw o50weELAoUGnzhw6adxQNBMmhowZIczkoAHDhZsYMGa40BPDhZk0ZC4+zCjn TAgpF11ICQMHDggqaOqAeDKGDogZMUDEqKGDxgwdM26AKDKFitgcOWIoCCIH etc etc To detach the MIME encoded file, save the message to a file, then quit your mail program. At the world% prompt, you can use any of these: munpack filename munpack works fast and silently, saving the decoded file to the original name (seen in the "Content-Type" line above, in this case 'Phantom.Z') OR metamail filename metamail lets you choose to see the attachment or save it to a file: Date: Tue, 23 May 1995 11:49:32 +0059 (EDT) From: Elizabeth Lear Subject: To: Elizabeth Lear Content-Description: This message contains raw digital data, which can either be viewed as text or written to a file. What do you want to do with the raw data? 1 -- See it as text 2 -- Write it to a file 3 -- Just skip it 2 Please enter the name of a file to which the data should be written (Default: Phantom.Z) > Wrote file Phantom.Z ON THE MAC mpack-1.4-mac.hqx ON THE PC mpack14.zip ---------- Multimedia File Formats on the Internet List of File Extensions By Allison Zhang Copyright 1995 URL: http://www.lib.rochester.edu/multimed/contents.htm Last updated: October 10, 1996. _________________________________________________ *B: binary file *A: ASCII file : Recommend software Extension Description File How to use type the file .acr ACR-NEMA medical B image file .aif(c) sound (Apple, SGI) B sound player .aif(f) sound (Apple, SGI) B sound player .arc DOS compression B decompress .arj compressed B decompress .art First Publisher Clip Art file .ASC image B image viewer .au music B ULAW player .avi video (MS Windows) B avi viewer .avr sound B sound player .avs animation B image viewer .bac binary backup B .bas Basic file B run in QBasic .BBM image B image viewer .bck VMS backup depends .BIG Chinese (old version) B Chinese viewer .BIG5 Chinese (old version) B Chinese viewer .BMF image B image viewer .bmp picture (Bitmap) B picture viewer .BOO image B image viewer .byu movie byu file B .CGM Computer Graphics Metafile B CGM viewer .clp picture B picture viewer .cmf music B music player .com compressed B decompress .com executable file B type the file name to run .com VMS command file B .cpt Macintosh Compressed B decompress .CUR image B image viewer .CUT image B image viewer .dat VMS data file .des text A word processor .DCS image B image viewer .DIB picture (Bitmap) B picture viewer .dig text A word processor .dl animated picture B dl viewer .dlg image B image viewer .DMS compressed B decompress .doc text A word processor .dvi special TeX text A .dwc archive B decompress .DWG image B image viewer .dxf ASCII Drawing A Interchange .eps Encapsulated Post- B PostScrip viewer Script image .euc Japanese (Kanji) B Japanese reader .exe self-extracting file B type "filename" to run .exe executable file B type "filename" to run .F Freeze for UNIX B unfreeze .fac picture B picture viewer .fit(s) image B image viewer .flc animated picture B picture viewer .fli animated picture B picture viewer .flx image B image viewer .fssd sound B sound player .gds image B image viewer .gb Chinese B Chinese viewer .gif picture B picture viewer .gl animated picture B picture viewer .gry picture B picture viewer .gz compressed B decompress .gzip compressed B decompress .h text A word processor .ha compressed B decompress .ham image B image viewer .hlb VMS help libraries A .hlp VMS help files A .HPK compressed B decompress .hqx Macintosh compressed B decompress .HRZ image B image viewer .HYP compressed B decompress .hz Chinese B Chinese viewer .ibm picture B picture viewer .ice archive B decompress .ico image B image viewer .ief image B image viewer .iff many types of binary B image viewer data .IMG picture B picture viewer .ish compressed B decompress .jas image B image viewer (Paint Shop Pro> .JBIG image B image viewer .JFI image B image viewer .jis Japanese B Japanese reader .jpc picture B picture viewer .jpg picture B picture viewer .LBM image B image viewer .lbr archive B decompress .lha compressed B decompress .lis program listing A DOS editor .lm8 picture B picture viewer .LZH compressed B decompress .LZS compressed B decompress .LZX compressed B decompresse .lzw LHWarp archive B decompress .MAC picture B picture viewer .mag picture B picture viewer .man text manual A word processor .map image B image viewer .MAT sound B sound player .md compressed B decompress .mgf image B image viewer .mhg multimedia B multimedia player .mid music B midi player .mki picture B picture viewer .mod music B mod player .mp2 audio B audio player .mpa audio B audio player .mpg multimedia B mpeg player .mps multimedi B mpeg player .mrb image B image viewer .MSP mage B image viewer .MTM sound B sound player .mtv picture B picture viewer .nff image B image viewer .nst sound B sound player .off image B image viewer .omf image B image viewer .pak compressed B decompress .pbm picture B picture viewer .pcd Kodak photo CD B picture viewer .pcc image B image viewer .pcm sound B sound player .pct picture B picture viewer .pcx picture(Paintbrush) B picture viewer .pdf image B Acrobat Reader .pds picture B picture viewer .pgm picture B picture viewer .pic picture B picture viewer .pict picture (Macintosh) B picture viewer .pit Macintosh compressed B decompress .pm picture B picture viewer .png image B image viewer .pnt MacPaint B image viewer .pol music B music player .pp Amiga compressed B decompress .ppm video B picture viewer .ps/.psid picture/text B picture viewer .ps laser printer file A word processor .ras picture B picture viewer .RAX image B image viewer .RAW animated picture B picture viewer .rgb picture B picture viewer .rmi sound B sound player .rle picture B picture viewer .ROL sound B sound player .s3m sound B sound player .scx image B image viewer (CShow> .sdn shell archive B decompress .sea self-extracting (Mac) B type "filename" to run .sf sound B sound player .sgi picture B picture viewer .shar shell archive A unshell .shg image B image viewer .SHK compressed (Mac) B decompress .sit compressed (Mac) B decompress .snd music B music player .sqz squeeze for MSDOS B decompress .?q? squeeze B decompress .stm sound B sound player .tar tape archive B untar .tar.gz compressed tar B decompress and untar .tar.Z compressed tar B decompress and untar .tdo compressed B decompress .TGA picture B picture viewer .tif(f) image B image viewer .txt text A word processor .uc2 compressed B decompress .ul sound B sound player .UTL sound B sound player .uue uuencoded A decode .uud uudecoded B .vic picture B picture viewer .vik picture B picture viewer .vis picture B picture viewer .voc sound B sound player .WAV sound B sound player .WMF image B image viewer .XBM picture (X Windows) B picture viewer .xm sound B sound player .xpm picture B picture viewer .XWD image B image viewer .Y compressed B decompress .yuv image B image viewer .Z compressed B decompress .zip compressed B decompress .zoo compressed B decompress .zw Chinese B Chinese viewer For more extensive image file formats, please check Image File Formats List _________________________________________________________________ | Home | Top | Send Comments | | About This Guide | Printed Version | FAQ | Mac Resource