First information about the binary distribution of VMS Zip 2.3
--------------------------------------------------------------
This archive comes in different variations:

 "zip22x-vms-<cpu-compiler>-{obj|exe}.zip",

 where <cpu-compiler> is "axp", "vax-decc", or "vax-vaxc", depending on
 the environment used for creating the binaries.

 ...-obj.zip denotes object library distributions which require
 a link step on the local machine.

 ...-exe.zip denotes "ready-to-run" executable distributions, that do
 not require additional work but do not run on VMS versions which are
 older than the system used for building the executables.

Contents of the "vms" executables archives for Zip 2.3:

a) common files (documentation etc.):
  00binary.vms         this file
  00readme.txt         additional VMS info about compiling Zip
  readme               what Zip is; general information
  changes              list of changes against the previous official version
  algorith.txt         description of the deflation algorithm
  infozip.who          list of contributors to the "portable Zip" project
  manual               Zip manual page, human-readable format
  whatsnew             list of important changes and new features
  where                pointer to Zip/UnZip support archives
  zip.hlp              VMS help module, for Zip's default command interface
  zip_cli.hlp          VMS help module, for Zip's VMSCLI command interface

b) object library distributions:
  link_zip.com         command procedure for the linking step
  vms/                 auxiliary directory, required for link step

  zip.<cpu_compiler>_olb       object library for Zip (both command interfaces)
  zipcli.<cpu_compiler>_olb    additional object library (Zip CLI interface)
  zipcloak.<cpu_compiler>_obj  main object file for ZipCloak
  zipnote.<cpu_compiler>_obj   main object file for ZipNote
  zipsplit.<cpu_compiler>_obj  main object file for ZipSplit
  ziputils.<cpu_compiler>_olb  object library for the Zip Utilities

c) executable distributions:
  zip.exe              Zip executable, default (UNIX style) command interface
  zipcloak.exe         Utility for encrypting and decrypting zip archives
  zipnote.exe          Utility for editing entry names and comments
  zipsplit.exe         Utility for splitting large zip archives
  zip_cli.exe          Zip executable, VMSCLI command interface


In case you decided to fetch the object library distribution, you
have to link the executables on your local site. This requires
installed runtime support for the C runtime library, which may not be
present on older VAX systems (prior to VMS 6).
To create the executables, just invoke the "link_zip.com" command procedure.
This will generate all executables (both zip with UNIX style command syntax
and zip_cli with VMSCLI command interface), but note that the executable's
extension is ".<cpu_compiler>_exe"!
In case your are on a VAX and your current working directory carries
both the DECC and the VAXC object distributions, you have to specify
either "VAXC" or "DECC" to tell link_zip.com which binaries you want
to build.

Additionally, link_zip.com defines foreign commands for the just created
executables, so you can test them straight ahead.
If you want to use the default (UNIX like) command interface, you can
proceed straight ahead after unpacking the distribution.
When you rather prefer to use the VMSCLI interface, you have to specify
the option "VMSCLI" (or just "CLI") to the command starting link_zip.com.

The executables (object libraries) in this archive have been compiled
with the following options enabled:
 * VMS_PK_EXTRA      (this is the default option)
 * [decription support]

The environment used for compilation was:

a)  On Alpha AXP :   OpenVMS(AXP) 6.2;  DEC C V 5.6-003
b1) On VAX       :   OpenVMS(VAX) 6.2;  DEC C V 4.0
b2)                       alternatively VAX C V 3.2

One final note:
The binary files of the distribution have been archived with "saving all VMS
attributes" enabled. Please do not repack the binary part of the archives on
a non-VMS system, to prevent corruption of the files.

02-Feb-1999, Christian Spieler