in reply to uncompressing a foo.Z file

I would like to use the Compress::ZLib library for all the files.
Sorry, no can do. As you may know, Compress::Zlib is not much more than an interface to the Zlib library. I found this entry in the ZLib FAQ:
13. Can zlib handle .Z files?
No, sorry. You have to spawn an uncompress or gunzip subprocess, or adapt the code of uncompress on your own.
The reason for this is indeed most likely as sauoq wrote: copyright and licencing problems. The main reason Zlib was written, is precisely to circumvent this kind of problems, by offering a free alternative to do compression. Unfortunately this implies that it can't be compatible with that what it tries to substitute.

From this Zlib FAQ entry, I would deduce that it's not illegal to write and use a program that is compatible with compress, but you cannot distribute it without a licence, not even for free, and a licence would cost you a lot of money.

So, don't set your hopes too high on somebody writing such a Perl module.

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Re: Re: uncompressing a foo.Z file
by sauoq (Abbot) on Aug 31, 2002 at 17:55 UTC
    From this Zlib FAQ entry, I would deduce that it's not illegal to write and use a program that is compatible with compress, but you cannot distribute it without a licence, not even for free, and a licence would cost you a lot of money.

    I don't think there would be a real problem with, say, a Compress::Uncompress module which only uncompressed .Z files. I say so because gzip does so. It just doesn't create them.

    -sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";
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