As of now custom content (custom maps mostly) on the server can be
compressed with bzip2 to reduce the time clients have to wait on the
loading screen. While the compression ratio of bzip2 is already quite
good there is a far better alternative: LZMA (see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZMA). Decompression code is very simple,
small and free/open-source libraries are available.
Below is a comparison of bzip2 and LZMA for the custom maps hosted on my
server (team fortress 2), bzip2 compressed files are from 1.3 to 2.3
times larger than LZMA compressed ones:
1.4x cp_antiquity_rc1.bsp (bzip2: 31.6MiB, lzma: 22.1MiB)
1.9x cp_crossroads_b5.bsp (bzip2: 20.4MiB, lzma: 10.9MiB)
1.3x cp_glacier_rc6.bsp (bzip2: 33.8MiB, lzma: 26.5MiB)
2.3x cp_mainline_rc5.bsp (bzip2: 22.8MiB, lzma: 10.0MiB)
1.7x cp_snakewater.bsp (bzip2: 31.6MiB, lzma: 18.4MiB)
1.7x cp_upland_rc2.bsp (bzip2: 39.7MiB, lzma: 23.7MiB)
2.2x cp_vertigo_beta3.bsp (bzip2: 21.6MiB, lzma: 9.8MiB)
1.8x cp_zinkenite_b3a.bsp (bzip2: 73.5MiB, lzma: 41.8MiB)
1.5x ctf_converge_b3.bsp (bzip2: 35.3MiB, lzma: 23.6MiB)
1.8x ctf_haarp.bsp (bzip2: 39.4MiB, lzma: 22.1MiB)
1.9x ctf_landfall_rc.bsp (bzip2: 22.8MiB, lzma: 11.7MiB)
1.5x ctf_premuda_b1b.bsp (bzip2: 53.2MiB, lzma: 36.5MiB)
1.8x ctf_vector_v1.bsp (bzip2: 23.4MiB, lzma: 13.1MiB)
1.5x ctf_wildfire_rc.bsp (bzip2: 21.1MiB, lzma: 14.1MiB)
1.3x koth_namicott_rc1.bsp (bzip2: 12.8MiB, lzma: 9.7MiB)
1.8x pl_borneo_v1.bsp (bzip2: 21.7MiB, lzma: 12.2MiB)
2.0x pl_boundary_final.bsp (bzip2: 20.9MiB, lzma: 10.7MiB)
1.3x pl_cashworks_prefinal.bsp (bzip2: 42.1MiB, lzma: 31.3MiB)
1.6x pl_manngrove_rc5.bsp (bzip2: 29.8MiB, lzma: 18.8MiB)
1.3x pl_mill_b5.bsp (bzip2: 32.4MiB, lzma: 25.5MiB)
2.0x pl_outback_rc4.bsp (bzip2: 27.7MiB, lzma: 14.1MiB)
1.3x pl_problematique_a3.bsp (bzip2: 4.7MiB, lzma: 3.6MiB)
2.1x pl_yamashiro_b3.bsp (bzip2: 16.2MiB, lzma: 7.8MiB)
1.9x plr_panic_b2.bsp (bzip2: 37.1MiB, lzma: 19.7MiB)
1.7x tc_meridian_rc3.bsp (bzip2: 42.1MiB, lzma: 24.1MiB)
_______________________________________________
To unsubscribe, edit your list preferences, or view the list archives, please
visit:
https://list.valvesoftware.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hlds_linux
