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neverwind · Apr 30, 2005, 07:14 AM

I was installing some software into tiger when I came across a .sit file that the finder would not expand natively. It asked to be pointed to an application...
.zip files seem to be ok. The help system claims Tiger CAN open sit files.
Do you find this or is something amiss on my end?

lookmark · Apr 30, 2005, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by neverwind

I was installing some software into tiger when I came across a .sit file that the finder would not expand natively. It asked to be pointed to an application...
.zip files seem to be ok. The help system claims Tiger CAN open sit files.
Do you find this or is something amiss on my end?

No, you need Stuffit Expander (it's a proprietary format), which needs to be reinstalled for Tiger.

Curious, though, where in Help does it say Tiger can open .sit files?

neverwind · Apr 30, 2005, 07:40 AM

In help search for "Using Windows files on a Mac". Yes, I know SIT is NOT a win format but the info is found on THIS page nonetheless.

I took this to mean it would expand the sit file.
I guess I expected sit file expansion to be a part of the OS like it was in previous iterations...

tuqqer · Apr 30, 2005, 08:19 AM

It IS odd that it didn't come with Tiger. For what it's worth, don't try to find it on Stuffit's site, they make you go through way too many steps to get to their free download. Instead, you can get it directly from www.macupdates.com

Geobunny · Apr 30, 2005, 08:23 AM

Tugger, that address is ever so slightly wrong. Try again, without the s! www.macupdate.com

Peabo · Apr 30, 2005, 08:45 AM

I think they are trying to phase out stuffit and move to zip. I noticed that all the new widgets I downloaded were zipped so maybe they have told developers to use this format to compress their files too.

Moose · Apr 30, 2005, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by tuqqer

It IS odd that it didn't come with Tiger.

You say odd. I say welcome.

Between disk images and native support for ZIP, tar, gzip, and bzip2, StuffIt has no reason to go on.

OptimusG4 · Apr 30, 2005, 08:51 AM

Originally Posted by z0ne81

I think they are trying to phase out stuffit and move to zip. I noticed that all the new widgets I downloaded were zipped so maybe they have told developers to use this format to compress their files too.

I noticed also that once it is unzipped, the widget is auto installed to your ~/Library/Widgets folder.

tuqqer · Apr 30, 2005, 08:53 AM

whoops. thanks, Geo.

I'm confused, though, now. Moose, what program are you using to unstuff zips and sits? Believe me, I'm no fan of Stuffit, would love to Dumpit, but what are you all using?

Drakino · Apr 30, 2005, 01:55 PM

Tiger and Panther both have built in .zip compression/decompression. This is the preferred way now, as it also handles resource forks if needed.

To make a .zip right/context click a folder/file, and choose Create Archive. To unzip, just double click as normal.

tuqqer · Apr 30, 2005, 01:58 PM

Drakino, that's what I would have thought, but I swear, after clean installing Tiger, double clicking on both .sit and .zip files (and there were lots since I was reinstalling every app) brought up only the "Can't find Application" error windows.

Geobunny · Apr 30, 2005, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Drakino

Tiger and Panther both have built in .zip compression/decompression. This is the preferred way now, as it also handles resource forks if needed.

While it does handle resource forks, I don't trust it. Last time I used Panther's Finder to zip up some Quark XPress jobs, the printer I sent them to (who are still using Mac OS 9) said the folder unzipped very strangely and none of the fonts worked. Turns out that because OS X works with resource forks differently, it zipped them up inside a folder called "._MACOSX" or something along those lines. OS 9 didn't have a clue what to make of it 'til I stuffed them up with DropStuff.

Drakino · Apr 30, 2005, 06:25 PM

Yeah, only the built in .zip stuff in OS X will put the resource forks back properly. Sending a file to an OS 9 or below user would still need .sit.

besson3c · Apr 30, 2005, 09:27 PM

It looks like OS X will now natively extract tarballs too, and I believe gzipped/bzipped files too... nice

OwlBoy · Apr 30, 2005, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Geobunny

While it does handle resource forks, I don't trust it. Last time I used Panther's Finder to zip up some Quark XPress jobs, the printer I sent them to (who are still using Mac OS 9) said the folder unzipped very strangely and none of the fonts worked. Turns out that because OS X works with resource forks differently, it zipped them up inside a folder called "._MACOSX" or something along those lines. OS 9 didn't have a clue what to make of it 'til I stuffed them up with DropStuff.

The technical reason for this problem:

Mac OS X can zip up files with resourse forks, but, it is also the only thing that can UNzip those files. Stuffit might too...

If your printer was using OS 9, or windows, things would not have been put together right, or if they were using an old copy of stuffit to open them, or an old version of Mac OS X before .zip was built in.

-Owl

lngtones · Apr 30, 2005, 10:13 PM

I just went and downloaded Stuffit Deluxe from MacUpdate and it was downloaded as a .stix

How helpful...

CharlesS · Apr 30, 2005, 10:27 PM

Originally Posted by lngtones

I just went and downloaded Stuffit Deluxe from MacUpdate and it was downloaded as a .stix

How helpful...

Download StuffIt Standard. That is the package that includes Expander, and the link from MacUpdate downloads as a .dmg.

alphasubzero949 · May 1, 2005, 02:13 AM

Originally Posted by lngtones

I just went and downloaded Stuffit Deluxe from MacUpdate and it was downloaded as a .stix

How helpful...

Exactly. How bone-headed of them to require Stuffit to download Stuffit.

eevyl · May 1, 2005, 03:32 AM

Originally Posted by neverwind

In help search for "Using Windows files on a Mac". Yes, I know SIT is NOT a win format but the info is found on THIS page nonetheless.

I took this to mean it would expand the sit file.
I guess I expected sit file expansion to be a part of the OS like it was in previous iterations...

That page of the built in Help does NOT says Tiger can natively open .sit files, it just goes on saying that most Windows files are compatible with proper Mac applications, that is they use the same format. And then lists some common file types.

Nothing to do with being able to open the files out of the box, but pointing out that there are apps that can, in this case Stuffit Expander.

Chuckit · May 1, 2005, 03:52 AM

Originally Posted by neverwind

I guess I expected sit file expansion to be a part of the OS like it was in previous iterations...

Just for the record, SIT expansion was never part of the OS. It was always done through Stuffit.

mactropolis · May 1, 2005, 06:22 AM

Correct. SIT/SITX expansion was _never_ part of of any iteration of the Mac OS Finder. In previous releases of Mac OS Classic and Mac OS X, Apple did however install Stuffit Expander with a full install of the OS and included it on the CD-ROM. I guess this changed with the Tiger DVD then....

neverwind · May 1, 2005, 06:47 AM

Yes, that is what threw me. I understand Apple in under NO obligation to include Stuff Expander in the OS. BUT, and here is the clincher, because IT WAS included in previous iterations many installers made in the PRE 10.4 Tiger era are encoded in the SIT format. NEW users to the OS would have NO idea what to do when confronted with the "please choose an application to open this file" dialogue.

As I've already stated, Apple has no obligation to include Stuffit Expander, but in the interests of a "smart" user friendly OS, there should be some prompt about what file type this is and give a point in the right direction. OR like the MS win system have an option to open a web page listing filetypes and their controlling apps. NO I'm not a troll, or pro win. But heck, Apple can do better than this.

themexican · 08:16 PM

If you do a simple upgrade, you still have stuffit.

Alternately if you did an archive & install you can search for all items that contain "stuff" in your archived system and replace them in the corresponding places in the new system, you still have stuffit.

Finally you can navigate the shitty stuffit website and try to find the free version of stuffit and install. Judging from the website, it looks like the company has been sold a couple of times to people who now don't have a clue. My guess is that it is now not part of the OS install because they demanded unreasonable licensing. Anyway get it before it vanishes.

stesteG5 · May 5, 2005, 10:15 AM

Or Download it directly here

http://www.allume.com/downloads/file...xpander902.dmg

Just Click Above

tuqqer · May 5, 2005, 10:36 AM

Nice one, STE! Well done.

addiecool · May 5, 2005, 12:50 PM

above all. Lets all trash stuffit forever. Amen....

TheCat · Jul 26, 2005, 12:59 AM

It's nice to say that we should drop stuffit, but I'm trying to install demos downloaded, from, er, apple.com to my daughter's brand new Tiger iMac. They all seem to be .sit files. Perhaps if Apple wants to ditch the format, they should provide these demos in another format?

http://www.apple.com/downloads/macos...kids_learning/

At any rate, thanks to the helpful people who provided links to download StuffIt Expander.

ShotgunEd · Jul 26, 2005, 04:15 AM

This confused me somewhat as well.

A clean install of Tiger gives you no stuffit. Its pretty hard to abandon stuffit when a lot of stuff you download is still archived in sit format.

I think previous versions installed Expander in /Applications/Utilities/ by default.

Can't be sure though.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Jul 26, 2005, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by Geobunny

While it does handle resource forks, I don't trust it. Last time I used Panther's Finder to zip up some Quark XPress jobs, the printer I sent them to (who are still using Mac OS 9) said the folder unzipped very strangely and none of the fonts worked. Turns out that because OS X works with resource forks differently, it zipped them up inside a folder called "._MACOSX" or something along those lines. OS 9 didn't have a clue what to make of it 'til I stuffed them up with DropStuff.

Yep, same problem here. I even sent stuff to PC users and it chokes on mac ZIP files.

I don't think OS9 likes it much at all.