Lhx
Description:	Pack & unpack using XZ/LZMA with filebits intact
Download:	lhx.lha       (TIPS: Use the right click menu if your browser takes you back here all the time)
Size:	88kb
Version:	0.90.0
Date:	02 Aug 2026
Author:	Marko K. Seppänen, Lasse Collin, Igor Pavlov
Submitter:	Marko Seppänen
Homepage:	http://www.m4rko.com/amiga
Requirements:	Lha2.15+, (Xad_7z recommended)
Category:	utility/archive
Replaces:	utility/archive/lhx.lha
License:	Other
Distribute:	yes
Min OS Version:	4.1
FileID:	13983
Comments:	13
Snapshots:	0
Videos:	0
Downloads:	41  (Current version)
	1784  (Accumulated)
Votes:	2 (0/0)  (30 days/7 days)

Lhx - 0.90.0
============

Lhx is a file compression utility that creates compressed archives for
AmigaOS 4. It stores files in an AmigaOS-compatible archive format and
preserves file protection bits and file comments when possible.

The archive data is compressed with XZ/LZMA, the same compression method used
by 7-Zip.


A Quick Comparison Test
-----------------------
A test drawer with text and executable files, size 4 273 588 bytes:
 - Unpacked:           4 273 588 B  test
 - Lhx (XZ/LZMA+lh0)   2 375 368 B  test.lhx
 - Lha (-lh6-)         2 929 454 B  test2.lha
 - Lha (-lh5-)         2 929 454 B  test.lha


Installation
------------
Run the "Install" file in the package, or:
  1. Copy the "Lhx" file from the package's "C" drawer to your own "C:" drawer.
  2. Optionally copy "Lhx.manual.doc.txt", "Lhx.readme" and
     "Lhx.readme.info" to "SYS:Documentation/Lhx/".
  3. Done.


Examples
--------

; Pack/compress a file
1> Lhx NEW mypackedfile.lhx somefile
; Shorthand works too
1> Lhx -n mypackedfile.lhx somefile

; Pack/compress a file from, and to RAM Disk:
1> Lhx NEW ram:mypackedfile.lhx ram:t/usb.log

; Pack/compress a drawer and its icon file to RAM Disk:
1> Lhx NEW ram:MyPackedGame.lhx MyGame MyGame.info

; For extracting/unpacking the files use the EXTRACT command.
1> Lhx EXTRACT packed.lhx ram:
; Shorthand works too
1> Lhx -x packed.lhx ram:

Changes
-------
0.90.0: (2026 Aug):
 - Added new command LIST and -l to show verbose listing output of the 
   archive contents without extracting the files.
 - Added FULL-LIST and -L for the most detailed archive listing output.
 - Added -x as the standard shorthand for EXTRACT, while keeping -e supported.
 - Added -h as an alias for HELP.
 - Added a warning if the installed LhA version is older than 2.15 or cannot
   be detected.
 - Fixed command-line argument handling for file/archive parameters.
 - Preserved uppercase and mixed-case archive and path names.
 - Improved handling of compressed archive files during packing and extraction.
 - Improved error handling when memory or temporary files cannot be opened.
 - Fixed cleanup of temporary files and internal command output handling.
 - Improved reporting of packed and extracted item counts.
 - Improved debug logging and verbose output reliability.
 - Fixed two issues (with wrong paths) in the "Install" file, thanks tekmage.
 - Improved documentation for the .lhx archive format, .lha.xz compatibility,
   temporary files, and RAM:T/Lhx.log.
 - Fixed many errors and clarified command, option, usage, and example text in
   the documentation.
 - Changed reserved command UNPACK shorthand from -x to -U.
 - Added Spec "LHX-format-Specification.md" to clarify expected Lhx behavior
   and command semantics.
0.89.0 beta: (2023 Apr)
 - Compiled with the new SDK 54 with gcc version 8.4.0 (adtools build 8.4.0).
0.88.0 beta: (2019 Dec)
 - Improved error handling during extraction and making new archives.
 - Added checks of all files exists that are to be added into archive.
 - Implemented a test suite and added some tests for mainly NEW and EXTRACT
   switches. From now on these must pass before a new release is published.
 - Fixed bug, uppercase and mixed case of VERSION switch did not work.
 - Minor changes of output text.
0.87.0 beta: (2019 Dec)
 - Changed lzma library to use version 5.2.4 (from 5.2.1).
 - Fixed wrong default drive in assign task for readme file.
 - Removed the "self extracting archive" procedure of this archive, to
   keep it simple.
 - Renamed Lhxunpack to Lhx-unpacker.
0.86.1 beta: (2019 Mar)
 - Fixed wrong default tool in extraction script, thanks Chris Young.
 - Cosmetic fixes and changes to output messages and readme.
0.86.0 beta: (2018 May)
 - Added new option FORCE that will force certain commands. Using FORCE when 
   extracting will create all destination dirs if those are missing, and 
   without complaining.
 - Added a more graceful error message when dir not exists upon extract command.
 - Fixed missing newline before possible first error message.
0.85.1 beta: (2018 May)
 - Fixed weird issue Lhx file getting write protected.
 - Fixed Install file trying to copy with a typo in the Manual filename.
 - Fixed EXTVER tag with added sub-revision number.
 - Fixed a few typos in this readme.
0.85.0 beta: (2018 May)
 - Added output of number of files extracted.
 - Now builds an Lhxunpacker executable, apart from the normal Lhx executable.
   This new executable can only extract archives and is much smaller than the
   main executable. This exe. will be used in the "self extracting archive" in
   future releases from now on.
0.84.0 beta: (2018 Apr)
 - With this release, Lhx is out of Alpha state, and into Beta. All serious
   issues (as far as I know) are resolved.
 - Refactored the release archive into sort of a "self extracting archive". The
   idea is to extract the Lhx.lhx archive with a previous version of itself.
   (The latest version of the executable will be extracted from the
   "Lhx_temp/Lhx.lhx" file into "Lhx_temp/Lhx/Lhx", with the previous version
   located in "Lhx_temp/C/Lhx".)
 - Typos fixes in documentation.
0.83.0 alpha: (2018 Feb)
 - Implemented so only correct type of files can be extracted, through checks
   of file-headers (Magic Headers), and not solely of file extensions.
 - Fixed a few other issues regarding filetypes/fileheaders.
 - When extracting, the destination dir is checked that it really is a
   directory and not a regular file.
 - Fixed its own directory for the documentation in AutoInstall.
 - Clarified and fixed typos in help/documentation.
 - Among other things.
0.82.0 alpha: (2018 Feb)
 - Fixed a number of bugs.
 - Checks that the files to be archived / extracted to actually exists.
 - A lot of internal refactoring.
 - Implemented a logger (RAM:T/Lhx.log), to help finding bugs (although not all
   operations are logged (yet)).
 - Other miscellaneous fixes and improvements.
0.81.0 alpha: (2018 Feb)
 - Fixed bugs/issues with files not found and old temp. files.
 - Corrected wrong months in Recent section, thanks MickJT.
 - Added Install and AutoInstall files.
 - Added icons for the readme, etc.
 - Clarified readme and help text.
0.80.0 alpha: (2018 Feb)                                                       
 - 7z superseded by XZ/LZMA and program renamed to Lhz (from L7z), thanks for
   suggestion Fredrik Wikstr�m. XZ/LZMA is a subset of 7z (used in
7-Zip).
 - Miscellaneous fixes and improvements.
0.7.0 alpha: (2018 Jan)
 - First public release.
...//snip//

    (See the doc/manual for more information.)


Requirements
------------
LhA version 2.15+
Xad_7z recommended


Author(s)
---------
- Lhx, developed by Marko K. Seppänen
- Liblzma port, by Fredrik Wikström
- XZ, by The Tukaani Project (Lasse Collin, Antti Aalto, Ville Koskinen, Daniel
  Liljeqvist, Jaakko Pallari, Mikko Pouru, and more..., see
  https://tukaani.org/about.html )
- Liblzma, written by Lasse Collin
- 7z (LZMA/LZMA2), by Igor Pavlov
- LZMA, Lempel-Ziv-Markov chain algorithm


Other credit(s)
---------------
Fredrik Wikström, Chris Young, Sven Ottemann


Homepage
--------
https://m4rko.com/amiga