Article title:   LHA archiver for EPOC
First posted:   Tue 28 Feb 2006
Description:   I always want have couple different archivers for my Psion machine. I started porting some archivers for Psion machines last year and there is result: LHA archiver.
Article text:
NATIVE LHA ARCHIVER FOR EPOC
Current release of emxlha is: 1.41i-1.


SUPPORTED PLATFORM
All Psion machines with EPOC OS.


KEYWORDS
GPL LHA archiver, EPOCEMX, OpenWith macro, Macro5.


MOTIVATION
I always want have couple different archivers for my Psion machine. I started porting some archivers for Psion machines last year and there is result. I ported C sources of freely available console version of packers (or only unpackers). Yes, for some archive formats are freely available only sources of unpackers (RAR, ARJ, ACE). But for me, possibility of unpacking archive (for example RAR) from email attachment directly on my Psion machine is more important than capability of creating new archive files.


WHY EXIST OPENWITH
OpenWith is simple OPL macro program for Macro5 application. OpenWith is ideal graphic front-end for handling many "command line" programs like a console archivers, converters etc. More about OpenWith you can read here.


PORTING OF LHA ARCHIVER
Sources of LHA archiver are freely available under GPL license, so I can port whole LHA archiver with packing and unpacking features. I used GPL sources of LHA 1.14i sources with all security patches. During porting process I locate and fix some bugs about correct file closing.
I compiled LHA sources for Psion’s POSIX-like environment EPOCEMX, basically because porting process was very easy and at least I always prefer POSIX environments.
Actual GPL version have man pages only in Japan language, so if someone is able translate this man pages to the English it will be useful for many non Japan LHA users not only on the EPOC platform.


DOWNLOAD
You can download emxlha distribution with binaries and sources from: Patisoners-Psion download section.

For using LHA on your EPOC machine you must have installed emxuser.sis (EPOCEMX user package).
This package (like other EPOCEMX utilities) is freely available on the: EPOCEMX project homepage.


HOW TO USE EMXLHA
emxlha work with all versions of LZH or LHA archives.
Typically packer usage is:
Typically unpacker usage is:
LHA archiver has many options, for full information type:

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR EMXLHA
  • EPOCEMX like good POSIX-like environment support symbolic links (symlinks) and emxlha support this feature too.
    So, you can use UNIX-like archive files with symlinks without problems.

  • emxlha archiver use for storing temporary file EPOCEMX directory: /tmp . This directory is located typically on memory card. If you want increase speed of handling LHA archives and have space on EPOC ram drive (typically C:\) you can create symlink of /tmp directory on EPOCEMX root and this symlink retarget to the EPOC directory: C:\SYSTEM\TMP\


BUG REPORTS
If you have some problem with emxlha or you find some bug, send me email (please use contact us form) or post comments at end of this article.

Poke^Patisoners.
2006-02-27
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