archival/bz/README

This file is an abridged version of README from bizp2 1.0.4
Build instructions (which are not relevant to busyboxed bzip2)
are removed.
===========================================================


This is the README for bzip2/libzip2.
This version is fully compatible with the previous public releases.

------------------------------------------------------------------
This file is part of bzip2/libbzip2, a program and library for
lossless, block-sorting data compression.

bzip2/libbzip2 version 1.0.4 of 20 December 2006
Copyright (C) 1996-2006 Julian Seward <jseward@bzip.org>

Please read the WARNING, DISCLAIMER and PATENTS sections in this file.

This program is released under the terms of the license contained
in the file LICENSE.
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Please read and be aware of the following:


WARNING:

   This program and library (attempts to) compress data by
   performing several non-trivial transformations on it.
   Unless you are 100% familiar with *all* the algorithms
   contained herein, and with the consequences of modifying them,
   you should NOT meddle with the compression or decompression
   machinery.  Incorrect changes can and very likely *will*
   lead to disastrous loss of data.


DISCLAIMER:

   I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY LOSS OF DATA ARISING FROM THE
   USE OF THIS PROGRAM/LIBRARY, HOWSOEVER CAUSED.

   Every compression of a file implies an assumption that the
   compressed file can be decompressed to reproduce the original.
   Great efforts in design, coding and testing have been made to
   ensure that this program works correctly.  However, the complexity
   of the algorithms, and, in particular, the presence of various
   special cases in the code which occur with very low but non-zero
   probability make it impossible to rule out the possibility of bugs
   remaining in the program.  DO NOT COMPRESS ANY DATA WITH THIS
   PROGRAM UNLESS YOU ARE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE POSSIBILITY, HOWEVER
   SMALL, THAT THE DATA WILL NOT BE RECOVERABLE.

   That is not to say this program is inherently unreliable.
   Indeed, I very much hope the opposite is true.  bzip2/libbzip2
   has been carefully constructed and extensively tested.


PATENTS:

   To the best of my knowledge, bzip2/libbzip2 does not use any
   patented algorithms.  However, I do not have the resources
   to carry out a patent search.  Therefore I cannot give any
   guarantee of the above statement.


I hope you find bzip2 useful.  Feel free to contact me at
   jseward@bzip.org
if you have any suggestions or queries.  Many people mailed me with
comments, suggestions and patches after the releases of bzip-0.15,
bzip-0.21, and bzip2 versions 0.1pl2, 0.9.0, 0.9.5, 1.0.0, 1.0.1,
1.0.2 and 1.0.3, and the changes in bzip2 are largely a result of this
feedback.  I thank you for your comments.

bzip2's "home" is http://www.bzip.org/

Julian Seward
jseward@bzip.org
Cambridge, UK.

18     July 1996 (version 0.15)
25   August 1996 (version 0.21)
 7   August 1997 (bzip2, version 0.1)
29   August 1997 (bzip2, version 0.1pl2)
23   August 1998 (bzip2, version 0.9.0)
 8     June 1999 (bzip2, version 0.9.5)
 4     Sept 1999 (bzip2, version 0.9.5d)
 5      May 2000 (bzip2, version 1.0pre8)
30 December 2001 (bzip2, version 1.0.2pre1)
15 February 2005 (bzip2, version 1.0.3)
20 December 2006 (bzip2, version 1.0.4)