how to unpack old .z QNX files

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

t***@gmail.com

2014-03-13 16:18:22 UTC

Hi All,
I've tried the following but didn't work:
- created a topic a openqnx but didn't get accepted by the community
- created a linux stack topic with bounty didn't get the respond need

I've tried every possible modern unpack tool in my Centos Linux but couldn't get the file extracted.

Then I went to the QNX developer site and downloaded a QNX RTOS system on VMWare and tried melt but didn't work.

After huge amount of time and struggling I've still got a huge files packed in .z format, e.g.:
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 357 Feb 7 2012 PMIPN.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN01.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 695 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN02.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 995 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN03.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN04.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 3.2K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN05.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN06.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN07.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN08.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 851 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN09.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1022 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN10.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN11.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 695 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN12.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 15K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN13.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 16K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN14.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1.6K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN15.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 638 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN16.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1.9K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN17.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 13K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN18.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN19.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 578 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN20.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN21.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1.6K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN22.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN23.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN24.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 688 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN25.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN26.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 650 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN27.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 801 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN28.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 3.0K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN29.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN30.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 354 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN31.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 569 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN32.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN33.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN34.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN35.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 7.8K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN36.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 875 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN37.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 4.6K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN38.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 3.2K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN39.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN40.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN41.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 7.4K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN42.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN43.z

How can I unpack these files?
Probably the answer will be: get a hang on a QNX2 system, but I've searched everywhere and can't find a VMWare with it.

So I'm more thinking is there a way to package the pack/unpack utility and port it to QNX RTOS so I can run it.

Thanks!

Andy Valencia

2014-03-13 16:33:26 UTC

Permalink

Post by t***@gmail.com
After huge amount of time and struggling I've still got a huge files packed
in .z format, e.g.: How can I unpack these files?

The .z suffix was used by the old compress/uncompress utilities.
I *thought* GNU zip (gzip) could handle this format as well as its
own (it briefly used the .z suffix, but then got pushed to .gz).
On Debian, there's an "uncompress" command, included in the "gzip"
package.

Andy Valencia
Home page: http://www.vsta.org/andy/
To contact me: http://www.vsta.org/contact/andy.html

Tahir Malik

2014-03-13 16:39:59 UTC

Permalink

Post by t***@gmail.com
Hi All,
- created a topic a openqnx but didn't get accepted by the community
- created a linux stack topic with bounty didn't get the respond need
I've tried every possible modern unpack tool in my Centos Linux but couldn't get the file extracted.
Then I went to the QNX developer site and downloaded a QNX RTOS system on VMWare and tried melt but didn't work.
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 357 Feb 7 2012 PMIPN.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN01.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 695 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN02.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 995 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN03.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN04.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 3.2K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN05.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN06.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN07.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN08.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 851 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN09.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1022 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN10.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN11.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 695 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN12.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 15K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN13.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 16K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN14.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1.6K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN15.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 638 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN16.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1.9K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN17.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 13K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN18.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 363 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN19.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 578 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN20.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN21.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 1.6K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN22.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN23.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN24.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 688 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN25.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN26.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 650 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN27.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 801 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN28.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 3.0K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN29.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN30.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 354 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN31.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 569 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN32.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 361 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN33.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN34.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN35.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 7.8K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN36.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 875 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN37.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 4.6K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN38.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 3.2K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN39.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN40.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN41.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 7.4K Feb 7 2012 PMIRN42.z
-rwxrw-r-- 1 root root 362 Feb 7 2012 PMIRN43.z
How can I unpack these files?
Probably the answer will be: get a hang on a QNX2 system, but I've searched everywhere and can't find a VMWare with it.
So I'm more thinking is there a way to package the pack/unpack utility and port it to QNX RTOS so I can run it.
Thanks!

Hi Andy,

It's not working, this is the output:
[***@green update]# uncompress -dv PMITN01.z.Z
PMITN01.z already exists.
Do you wish to overwrite PMITN01.z (y or n)? y
PMITN01.z.Z: PMITN01.z.Z: not in compressed format
No compression -- PMITN01.z.Z unchanged
[***@green update]#

Andy Valencia

2014-03-13 22:45:22 UTC

Permalink

Post by Tahir Malik
PMITN01.z already exists.

Oh wow, that makes me think of the even *older* pack/unpack:

http://alasir.com/books/bsd/392-394.html

I see an unpack.c claiming to support "decompress files in pack format"
in the gzip source, even now. If you do "file <file.z>", what does
it describe it as? Can you do "hexdump <file.z> | head -4" and post
that here? I can probably guess at the file's type from that. Of
course, you tried "gzip -d <file.z>"? What did *that* tell you?

Andy Valencia
Home page: http://www.vsta.org/andy/
To contact me: http://www.vsta.org/contact/andy.html

Andy Valencia

2014-03-14 04:00:52 UTC

Permalink

Post by Andy Valencia
I see an unpack.c claiming to support "decompress files in pack format"
in the gzip source, even now.

I found a packed .z file in my archives; "gzip -d < file.z" did indeed
correctly unpack it.

Andy Valencia
Home page: http://www.vsta.org/andy/
To contact me: http://www.vsta.org/contact/andy.html

Tahir Malik

2014-03-14 10:44:40 UTC

Permalink

Hi Andy,

it's not a GZIP :).

I've asked the question also here: http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/119002/how-to-extract-z-file-from-an-old-qnx-in-centos/119654?noredirect=1#119654

and it looks like it's a kind of a zlib compressed file.
I've added the file in my post (which is versy small) so maybe you can test it.

Andy Valencia

2014-03-14 15:34:52 UTC

Permalink

Post by Tahir Malik
it's not a GZIP :).
I've asked the question also here: http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/119002/how-to-extract-z-file-from-an-old-qnx-in-centos/119654?noredirect=1#119654
and it looks like it's a kind of a zlib compressed file.
I've added the file in my post (which is versy small) so maybe you can test it.

Nope, your attachment didn't make it through. Can you push it up to
rapidshare or somesuch and then post the URL? I'd be happy to take
a look.

Andy Valencia
Home page: http://www.vsta.org/andy/
To contact me: http://www.vsta.org/contact/andy.html