This program was designed to create Arkive archives out of disk images and extract them into disk images. It cannot handle relative files since I have never seen one. Star Arkive is an external utility of The Star Commander but is also distributed separately.

1. Usage

   STARARK [-]A <filename> [-|/C|D|Y] [<arkname>] 
STARARK [-]L <arkname>
   STARARK [-]X <arkname> [-|/4|7|8|C|D|X[D|P|S]|Y] [<diskname>] 

Commands:

• A: Puts files into archives. (Add)

• L: Lists the contents of archives. (List)

• X: Extracts the contents of archives. (eXtract)

<diskname>:

Type the path and the name of the disk images here (the extension is always ".d64" for 1541, ".d71" for 1571 and ".d81" for 1581 disk images). Leave this parameter blank to extract the archives into disk images with the same name. You can use wildcards to add multiple disk images and you can use long filenames, too.

<arkname>:

Type the path, the name and the extension of the archives here (the default extension of Arkive archives is ".ark"). You may leave it blank and the names of the archives will be those of the original disk images. You can use wildcards to list or extract multiple archives and you can use long filenames, too.

Options:

• 4: Extracts data into 1541 disk images (default).

• 7: Extracts data into 1571 disk images.

• 8: Extracts data into 1581 disk images.

• C: Asks for your confirmation about extracting each file.

• D: Deletes successfully processed source files.

• L: Displays Commodore filenames with the lowercase/uppercase character set (default).

• U: Displays Commodore filenames with the uppercase/graphics character set.

• X: Extracts data into 40-track 1541 disk images. You can choose the offset of the additional BAM entries by adding "S" (Speed DOS, default), "D" (Dolphin DOS) or "P" (Prologic DOS) to this option.

• Y: Assumes "Yes" to all queries, good for running from batch files.

2. Error messages

• Unknown command
  The command is unknown.

• Invalid option
  The option is unknown or the syntax of its argument is wrong.

• FILENAME.EXT not found
  The file does not exist.

• Cannot create FILENAME.EXT
  The file could not be created for some reason.

• Cannot add "filename" correctly
  The file could not be fully added into the archive. It is possible that the disk is full or the source disk image is corrupted.

• "filename" exists...
  It is not recommended to put two files with the same name into disk images. You can skip, rename the file or extract it with its original name.

• Cannot extract "filename" correctly
  The file could not be fully extracted from the archive. It is possible that the disk is full or the archive is corrupted, e.g. some bytes are missing from its end.

• DISKNAME.D64 is not a valid disk image
  The disk image is corrupted.

• DISKNAME.D64 has an invalid BAM
  The BAM of the disk image is corrupted. Try validating the disk image.

• Directory is full in DISKNAME.D64
  The directory of the disk image is full. You can store a maximum of 144 files in a 1541 or 1571 disk image and 296 files in a 1581 disk image.

• DISKNAME.D64 is full
  The disk image is full. You can store a maximum of 664 blocks in a 1541, 749 blocks in an extended 1541, 1328 blocks in a 1571 and 3160 blocks in a 1581 disk image.

3. Copyright and legal issues

This program is freeware. You may use it as long as you wish and you may give it to any individual, provided that it's in the original, unmodified archive. It is highly recommended that you download distribution packages from the homepage or other official distribution sites. If you get a package from somewhere else then make sure that the package has the author's authentic verification stamped on it.

The source of this program is distributed under a license that is similar to the GNU Public License but is more restrictive, for the protection of the users and the author. You may distribute only those modified versions or derived softwares that satisfy all restrictions in the license. When you distribute this program, modified versions of it or softwares derived from it, you may not ask for money above the normal fee of the distribution media itself. Furthermore, you may not publish this program or its source on floppy disks, CD-ROM's, FTP sites, WWW pages or any other distribution media, include it in a software compilation or bundle it with other software or hardware without prior permission of the author.

Note that public distribution of the beta releases of this program is prohibited. The only place where you can find them is the homepage.

This program is provided "as is", without a warranty of any kind. You are using it at your own risk. The author is not liable for any damage or data loss caused by the software.

4. The author

If you're interested in some similarly useful utilities then contact me at the E-mail address sta.ANTI@SPAM.c64.org or visit my homepage at http://sta.c64.org.

Joe Forster/STA
11th January, 2010