OS/2 PACK2 archive

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m (Jsummers moved page FTCOMP to OS/2 PACK2 archive: Sometimes called "PACK2" format by OS/2 users. Best I can do for a name.)
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|extensions={{ext|??_}}, {{ext|??@}}, others
 
|extensions={{ext|??_}}, {{ext|??@}}, others
 
}}
 
}}
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'''FTCOMP''' is the signature of a compressed archive format used on OS/2, particularly by software installers. Whether "FTCOMP" is the correct name of the format is unknown.
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'''OS/2 PACK2 archive''' (maybe also called '''FTCOMP''' format) is a compressed archive format used on OS/2, particularly by software installers.
  
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See also [[OS/2 installation archive]].
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See also [[OS/2 PACK archive]].
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''[More research is needed to disentangle this format from the one covered in [[OS/2 installation archive]].]''
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== Discussion ==
 
== Discussion ==
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On the OS/2 3.0 and 4.0 installation disks, some FTCOMP files are named with a trailing underscore, like "DSPRES.DL_". These archives contain a single compressed file, and are named after that file with the last letter replaced with an underscore. Some FTCOMP files are named with no extension, like "BUNDLE" or "KLONDIKE" or "SERIAL". These archives contain a collection of compressed files - "BUNDLE" if there's no other archive in the same directory, or some name specific to its contents.
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On the OS/2 3.0 and 4.0 installation disks, some PACK2 files are named with a trailing underscore, like "DSPRES.DL_". These archives contain a single compressed file, and are named after that file with the last letter replaced with an underscore. Some PACK2 files are named with no extension, like "BUNDLE" or "KLONDIKE" or "SERIAL". These archives contain a collection of compressed files - "BUNDLE" if there's no other archive in the same directory, or some name specific to its contents.
  
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There are apparently two versions of this format, since some tools report "this file requires a newer tool to extract".
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PACK2 format is associated with the PACK2.EXE and UNPACK2.EXE utilities. In some cases, the "UNPACK" command can decompress PACK2 format, but this apparently works by using the UNPACK2.EXE utility behind the scenes.
  
 
== Format details ==
 
== Format details ==
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== Identification ==
 
== Identification ==
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Files apparently begin with bytes {{magic|a5 96 fd ff}}. ASCII "{{magic|FTCOMP}}" appears at offset 24.
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Files begin with bytes {{magic|a5 96 fd ff}}. ASCII "{{magic|FTCOMP}}" appears at offset 24.
  
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Compare to [[OS/2 installation archive#Identification]].
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Compare to [[OS/2 PACK archive#Identification]].
  
 
== Software ==
 
== Software ==
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* The OS/2 3.0 and 4.0 install CDs contain OS/2 command-line tools UNPACK.EXE and UNPACK2.EXE (some files that cannot be unpacked with UNPACK will work with UNPACK2)
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OS/2 software:
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* The OS/2 Developer's Toolkit contains OS/2 command-line tools PACK.EXE and PACK2.EXE
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* The OS/2 3.0 and 4.0 install CDs contain OS/2 command-line tools UNPACK.EXE and UNPACK2.EXE.
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* Also found in many device driver packages, e.g. [https://archive.org/details/os2sharewarebbs OS/2 Shareware BBS Full Collection] → 33-VDrivers.zip → cirrus1.zip (Note: Many other versions of these tools exist.)
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* The OS/2 Developer's Toolkit contains OS/2 command-line tool PACK2.EXE.
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* [https://archive.org/details/os2sharewarebbs OS/2 Shareware BBS Full Collection] → 10-Tools.zip → warptlk3.zip → TOOLKIT/BIN/PACK2.EXE
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Other:
 
* [https://winworldpc.com/product/pc-dos/7x WinWorld: PC-DOS 7.x] → "IBM PC-DOS 7.0 (3.5-XDF)" → 144US1.DSK → UNPACK2.EXE (for DOS)
 
* [https://winworldpc.com/product/pc-dos/7x WinWorld: PC-DOS 7.x] → "IBM PC-DOS 7.0 (3.5-XDF)" → 144US1.DSK → UNPACK2.EXE (for DOS)
 
* https://github.com/martinlindhe/formats (Maybe just parses the header.)
 
* https://github.com/martinlindhe/formats (Maybe just parses the header.)
  
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''Caution: Some FTCOMP archives contain absolute file paths, which by default are respected by some or all UNPACK utilities.''
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''Caution: Some PACK2 archives contain absolute file paths, which by default are respected by some or all UNPACK utilities.''
  
 
== Sample files ==
 
== Sample files ==

Latest revision as of 19:00, 12 March 2024

File Format
Name OS/2 PACK2 archive
Ontology
Extension(s) .??_, .??@, others

OS/2 PACK2 archive (maybe also called FTCOMP format) is a compressed archive format used on OS/2, particularly by software installers.

See also OS/2 PACK archive.

Contents

[edit] Discussion

On the OS/2 3.0 and 4.0 installation disks, some PACK2 files are named with a trailing underscore, like "DSPRES.DL_". These archives contain a single compressed file, and are named after that file with the last letter replaced with an underscore. Some PACK2 files are named with no extension, like "BUNDLE" or "KLONDIKE" or "SERIAL". These archives contain a collection of compressed files - "BUNDLE" if there's no other archive in the same directory, or some name specific to its contents.

PACK2 format is associated with the PACK2.EXE and UNPACK2.EXE utilities. In some cases, the "UNPACK" command can decompress PACK2 format, but this apparently works by using the UNPACK2.EXE utility behind the scenes.

[edit] Format details

Shortly after the filename of each member file is what might be a FourCC code for the compression method or format version. Two codes are known to exist: "fT19", and, much more rarely, "fT21".

[edit] Identification

Files begin with bytes a5 96 fd ff. ASCII "FTCOMP" appears at offset 24.

Compare to OS/2 PACK archive#Identification.

[edit] Software

OS/2 software:

  • The OS/2 3.0 and 4.0 install CDs contain OS/2 command-line tools UNPACK.EXE and UNPACK2.EXE.
  • Also found in many device driver packages, e.g. OS/2 Shareware BBS Full Collection → 33-VDrivers.zip → cirrus1.zip (Note: Many other versions of these tools exist.)
  • The OS/2 Developer's Toolkit contains OS/2 command-line tool PACK2.EXE.
  • OS/2 Shareware BBS Full Collection → 10-Tools.zip → warptlk3.zip → TOOLKIT/BIN/PACK2.EXE

Other:

Caution: Some PACK2 archives contain absolute file paths, which by default are respected by some or all UNPACK utilities.

[edit] Sample files

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