Info-ZIP
From Encoresoup - The Ultimate Guide to Free/Open Source Software
|
|
| Zip | |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Info-ZIP |
| Stable release |
5.52 (27 February 2005) |
| Preview release |
6.0c (10 October 2005) |
| OS: | Cross-platform |
| Genre: | data compression |
| License: | BSD license |
| Website: | [[Website::www.info-zip.org]] |
| UnZip | |
|---|---|
| Developer: | Info-ZIP |
| Stable release |
5.52 (27 February 2005) |
| Preview release |
6.0c (10 October 2005) |
| OS: | Cross-platform |
| Genre: | data decompression |
| License: | BSD license |
| Website: | [[Website::www.info-zip.org]] |
Info-ZIP is an open source version of Phil Katz's "deflate" and "inflate" routines used in his popular file compression program, PKZIP. The free code released by the Info-ZIP project under a BSD license spawned a horde of PKZIP imitators (WinZip, PicoZip, PowerArchiver, Turbozip, PowerZip and many more), establishing the PKZIP file format as a de facto industry standard.
The first version of what would become Info-ZIP was published by Samuel Smith in March 1989, complete with the source code in both Pascal and C forms. In September he released 2.0, including support for the new IMPLODE method that had been added to PKZIP 1.01. A port to Unix was released by Carl Mascott and John Cowan in December.
In March 1990 a number of interested parties set up a mail list on a disused DEC-20 mainframe at the White Sands Missile Range, agreeing to form a group to clean up the code and make it officially public. In May the first version of this code was released, as Info-ZIP 3.0.
In 1994 and 1995 Info-ZIP turned a corner, and effectively became the de facto ZIP program. A huge number of ports were released that year, including numerous minicomputers, mainframes and practically every microcomputer ever developed. All the while the software had continued to add support for newer compression systems being added to PKZIP, eventually this happened so quickly that there was no reason to use PKZIP. It was also in 1995 that the principal maintainers start to work heavily on the PNG format, and changes to Info-ZIP slowed.
In addition to its command-line "Zip" and "UnZip" programs, Info-ZIP also produces a GUI frontend for Windows called "WiZ".
The "zip" and "unzip" programs included with most Linux and Unix distributions are Info-ZIP's Zip and Unzip programs.
[edit] See also
- Comparison of file archivers
- ZIP (file format)
[edit] External links
Free and open source software | ||
|---|---|---|
| General | Common Unix Printing System · The Free Software Definition · GNU Project · List of applications · X Window System | Image:Official gnu.svg  |
| History | Linux · Mozilla (Application Suite · Firefox · Thunderbird) | |
| Operating system families | BSD · Darwin · GNU · Linux · MINIX · OpenSolaris · ReactOS · Haiku | |
| Development | GCC · LLVM · Java · Perl · PHP · Python · Ruby · Tcl | |
| Window managers | Blackbox · EDE · Enlightenment · Étoilé · Fluxbox · GNOME · IceWM · KDE · LiteStep · Openbox · ROX · Window Maker · Xfce | |
| Organizations | Free Software Foundation (Europe, India, Latin America) · Linux Foundation · Mozilla Foundation · Open Source Initiative | |
| Licences | Apache · BSD · GPL · LGPL · MIT · MPL · Permissive free software licences · License proliferation | |
| Challenges | Binary blob · Digital rights management · Open source software security · Proprietary software · SCO-Linux controversies · Software patents and free software · Tivoization · Trusted Computing | |
| Other topics | Alternative terms · Community · Movement · Comparison of open source and closed source · Free and open source software · Revolution OS | |
![USB Memory Watch [ThinkGeek]](http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-3067719-10356334?imgurl=http%3A//www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/front/usb_memory_watch.jpg "USB Memory Watch [ThinkGeek]")
![Linksys NSLU2 Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives [Amazon]](http://openx.eclecticdave.com/images/41XEWAYEK7L._SL160_.jpg "Linksys NSLU2 Storage Link for USB 2.0 Disk Drives [Amazon]")
![USB Squid - Flexible 4 Port USB Hub [ThinkGeek]](http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-3067719-10356334?imgurl=http%3A//www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/front/usb_squid.jpg "USB Squid - Flexible 4 Port USB Hub [ThinkGeek]")
