Workaround for VMS Netscape's Compression Bug

File decompression doesn't work in VMS Netscape (at least versions 3.0b4 and
before). For example, when loading a .ps.gz or .ps.Z document (eg. from the
CERN or Los Alamos preprint servers), VMS Netscape 2.02 pops up a message
"Warning: unrecognized encoding: `x-compress'." (or "x-gzip" for .gz files)
and attempts to use the compressed file. Netscape 3.0b4 doesn't display the
message, but still doesn't decompress the file.

If the file is to be viewed by an external helper application (as is usually
the case, since the vast majority of compressed files are actually
compressed postscript, which can only be viewed with an external program
such as Ghostview or Digital's CDA viewers) it is possible to work round
this problem. Instead of calling the helper application directly, a special
procedure can be used to intervene, decompress the file, and then call the
helper application.

This procedure decompresses a file (deleting the original), runs a specified
command on it, and then renames the decompressed file to the original name
(for subsequent deletion by Netscape). If the file is not in fact
compressed, then the command is run on the original (this is important
because it can be called for both compressed and uncompressed files). It
requires the gzip command to be defined.

Syntax:-

     @disk:[dir]netscape-hack-compressed [options] [command] file

The command may be up to 7 words long (otherwise use quotes). The default is
gv.

Options:-

-spawn
     Initial commands are spawned to maintain user-mode logicals (untested).
-debug
     Display commands issued.

Eg. to handle compressed postscript properly in VMS Netscape, specify the
following command for application/postscript (either in the mailcap file or,
in Netscape version 3.0, if preferred, using the Netscape: General
Preferences|Helpers dialogue):-

     @disk:[dir]netscape-hack-compressed gv %s

(the gv is optional).

Note that the unrecognized encoding warning from Netscape 2.02 will still be
displayed, but can now be ignored.

Compressed

Although for many the bug described here is the most serious in VMS
Netscape, it is unfortunately not the only one. I keep a list of
VMS-specific Netscape bugs I have found in versions 2.02 and 3.0b4. Digital
(unlike Netscape) have been quite good at fixing reported bugs in previous
versions (though the bug described here has been around since the first beta
release - Digital claim that a fix in VMS's C runtime library is required),
so let's hope these are fixed in the future.
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First created: 25 Feb  [Best viewed with ANY browser!]
1997
Tim Adye, <T.J.Adye@rl.ac.uk>