Windows 3.1 SFX Stub for CAB Files?

[comp1]

Hi everyone!

I am new here and I am not a coder at all so please be patient with me.

I need to compress many files in a CAB. I have found a small SFX stub that will work on Windows 95 and is not dependent on any external program (e.g. extrac32.exe, cabinet.dll, etc.) but I need a stub that will work in Windows 3.11.

Does anyone know where I could find this? If not, would someone mind coding one for me?

I just need the stub to have a simple GUI that will allow me to select where to extract the files and a button to begin extraction. It would be nice if it displayed a progress bar while extracting but it's not necessary for my needs.

Thanks everyone and I'm glad to be here!

[Shelwien]

1. Console 32-bit exes can be converted with tools like wdosx.
2. There was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_3.1x#Win32s

Unfortunately these days its pretty hard to compile a 16-bit NE .exe

[comp1]

@shelwien: thanks for the info.I was just hoping some one here had a simple cab sfx stub with a gui that was 16-bit so it could work in win 3.x. I will pay some one to make one for me if one does not already exist.Thanks.

[Shelwien]

> I have found a small SFX stub that will work on Windows 95

Do you have a source for that?

[comp1]

> I have found a small SFX stub that will work on Windows 95

Do you have a source for that?

Well the SFX stub is from MsCab 0.63. Here are the contents of the "Src" folder. It includes a file called "sfx_dat.h".

[Shelwien]

That does link to cabinet.dll afaik.

Btw, are there any 16-bit GUI stubs like you want for any format? (zip?)

[comp1]

That does link to cabinet.dll afaik.

Btw, are there any 16-bit GUI stubs like you want for any format? (zip?)

That does link to cabinet.dll afaik.

Btw, are there any 16-bit GUI stubs like you want for any format? (zip?)

I'm glad you asked! There is one I like a lot for ZIP. I do not have the seperate stub file because the program that uses it (EasyZIP Self-Extractor Pro) does not include a seperate SFX stub file. Here are some screenshots of how it looks and also a ZIP file with a sample self-extracting EXE file inside that uses the stub I like.

-DIRECTORY SELECTION SCREEN-


-EXTRACTING SCREEN-


If the SFX stub for CAB could look like that, and work in win3.1, it would be perfect!

[Shelwien]

Well, that could be useful as a reference I guess (though a source would be a lot more helpful),
but decoding LZX still would be a problem - it supports up to 2M window, and offsets in 16-bit code are, well, 16-bit.
I think it would require quite a lot of work.
Comparing to that, it should be much easier to make a console 32-bit sfx using dos extender.
Or do you have a real 286 there?..

[comp1]

Well, that could be useful as a reference I guess (though a source would be a lot more helpful),
but decoding LZX still would be a problem - it supports up to 2M window, and offsets in 16-bit code are, well, 16-bit.
I think it would require quite a lot of work.
Comparing to that, it should be much easier to make a console 32-bit sfx using dos extender.
Or do you have a real 286 there?..

Well there is a 16-bit console stub from Microsoft that I have. If an sfx stub for lzx with a gui is just a dream, then that's ok. I can provide the Microsoft 16-bit stub but I'm sure you already have it.

And sadly I do not have a source code for the zip stub I showed above. The manufacturer never released it I don't think.

If there is still a chance this could be made, let me know and I'll help any way I can.

Also a couple friends of mine have old pc's running windows 3.11 but I don't know the hardware specs sorry.

Thanks.

[Shelwien]

> there is a 16-bit console stub from Microsoft that I have

For cab? sure, post it.

[comp1]

> there is a 16-bit console stub from Microsoft that I have

For cab? sure, post it.

Ok I will post it when I get home in a few hours.

[comp1]

Ok here is the 16-bit Microsoft SFX program.

Hope this helps.

[Shelwien]

Actually its a DOS progam, not win16, it won't be of much help...

[comp1]

Actually its a DOS progam, not win16, it won't be of much help...

Ahh ok...That's all I have. Well if it's not possible it's ok. Some things can't be done.

Thanks.

[Shelwien]

Its not impossible, just a bit tough.
Making a GUI path selector is one thing (though still requires finding 15-year-old win16 docs and a compiler),
but porting the decoder could take a lot more time. Do you have a budget like $1000 for this?

Anyway, I don't really see why you can't use rar sfx or something for this.
(There's a rar3/dos which would work in win3 and actually maybe compress better than LZX)