A question about NeoBook, plugins and UPX

[dec]

Hello,

I use UPX to compress my plugins DLL's for long time ago, before NeoBook itself count with the appropiate compiler option in order to optionally compress the publication executable's using UPX too. It's a good idea to continue with this approach? Can be a better idea to let the plugins uncompressed and let the user the hability to compress it along the publication using the NeoBook UPX compiler option?

What do you think about?

[chromebandit]

Hi David i remove upx or do not use on any dll ist better in my opinion size is bigger but less problems.

Regards

[HPW]

Hello,

Interesting question, I am in the same Situation with my plugins.
Maybe we should do it like neobook and make them optional.

Or Dave will offer an automatic Option in a neobook update:
When neobook is configured to use UPX , it will search/use a pluginname.nbru (or *.nbu) else it will use pluginname.nbr

As Long this is not done, we could deliver both nbr+nbru and the user renames the files as he want to use.

Even better would be the additional Option which was suggested here:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=18741&p=11202826#p11202826


Regards

[dec]

Hello,

Thanks for the comments. I did not realize some tests (which is unforgivable) but presumably we can expect the same compression ratio (publication size) if let the NeoBook UPX compiler option to work. In other words, I want to mean that the final publication size probably is the same in these two scenarios:

1º We compress the plugins and the user check the "Compress with UPX" in NeoBook

2º We do not compress the plugins and the user check the "Compress with UPX" in NeoBook

This mean we really do not need to worry about UPX compression at all, passing the decision of UPX usage to the NeoBooker. About the plugins distribution size I think we do not need to worry again, since we can compress into the Zip format or just (like me) compress the plugin installer with the provided installer maker options (Inno Setup in my case).

But may I forget something? Maybe I am not thinking on others scenarios in which compress the plugins (or have an option to do it) can be a good idea?

[Neosoft Support]

With today's large hard drives and fast Internet connections, file size isn't as critical as it used to be. Reducing file size is really the only purpose of utilities like UPX. The compression can be reversed so they don't offer any significant copy protection.

I'm not sure of the value if having NeoBook apply UPX compression to plug-ins. For one thing, NeoBook would have to try and figure out which plug-ins were already compressed (with UPX or some other tool), since files cannot be compressed more than once. Also, when NeoBook compiles plug-ins inside an exe, they are always compressed, so a pre-compressed plug-in has little impact on exe size.

[chromebandit]

With today's large hard drives and fast Internet connections, file size isn't as critical as it used to be. Reducing file size is really the only purpose of utilities like UPX. The compression can be reversed so they don't offer any significant copy protection.

I think upx compression isnt necesarry i dont use it no more @ all and i decompress any plug from other developers if posible also i dont use upx compression in NeoBook..... when i pack software with setup software it will be compressed anyway and the most important part!- if compressed to much or the wrong way with upx some antivirus give some false positives

[dec]

Hello,

Thanks for the commens. Finally I decide to release my plugins uncompressed, leaving the user the choice of usage the new "Compress with UPX" NeoBook compiler option. As I presume, the plugin installers maintain their sizes, so this have not too much impact from the server side of view or when download the installers.

[HPW]

Hello,

I followed DEC and have done it:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20231

Regards

[dec]

Hello,

Hello,

I followed DEC and have done it:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20231

Regards

I think is a good idea Hans. The final installers (or Zip) size are the same. The compiler process (52 plugins in my case are too much plugins to compile even in a batch) is reduced. And finally the user can choose the appropiate NeoBook option if want the executable's compressed with UPX including also our plugins.