Hi,

Par2DS :: Par2 Directory Support

I made a perl based commandline utility that allows you to "add" directory support to quickpar. It comes as a windows commandline executable.

Par2DS will preserve directory/file timestamping, read only and or hidden attributes.

Respond here or through pm to try it

[code:q558go6t]NAME
    par2ds - (sub) directory support for par2 files

SYNOPSIS
    par2ds [options] [base_dir]

     Options:
       -h(elp -?         brief help message
       -m(an             full documentation
       -p(repare         prepare
       -s(can            scan tree, use current dir or point to base_dir,
       -r(estore         restore tree, use current dir or point to base_dir
       -b(ase_dir        optional:specify base directory for processing
                         current directory assumed if omitted

OPTIONS
    -help   Print a brief help message and exits.

    -man    Prints the manual page and exits. The manual page include the
            "use cases" as wel al sample data format.

    -prepare
            Prepare the tree / subdirectory to by secured for "par2ds" by
            creating support directory and files
            /root/#PAR2DS/par2ds.exe
                                  /par2ds.md5ds
                                  /par2ds.par2

             1) create [par2ds_dir] directory
             2) dummy par2ds.par2 file to help start quickpar.
             3) when no [base_dir] is specified the current directory is used
             4) create "par2ds_dir" directory if it does not exist
             5) place copy of par2ds.exe in the "par2ds_dir" directoy

    -scan   Scan tree/subdirectory (use "current directory" or point to
            "base_dir" ) calculate MD5 hash for all files and save the
            timestamping for later restoration

             1) generate md5 checksum file "par2ds.md5ds" and place in "par2ds_dir"
             2) remove dummy par2ds.par2 file

    -restore
            Restore tree/subdirectory (use "current directory" or point to
            "base_dir" ) look for par2ds.md5ds and

             1) build md5 hash for all files from root, add modification and
                creation dates of files.
             2) using par2ds.md5 restore all directories
             3) scan par2ds.md5 and match md5 hash against files in root after par2 repair
                in root after par2 repair move files to original location and name and restore
                timestamping

    -base_dir
            Specify base directory for processing, use this to override the
            usage of the current working directory

DESCRIPTION
    par2ds will add support for subdirectories to the quickpar programm by
    Peter B. Clements on http://www.quickpar.org.uk

    The quickpar program has no directory support, but can be tricked into
    indexing files located in a "tree". Upon restoration the directory
    information however is lost, files with the same name get renamed etc.

    By building an index on files MD5 checksums of the files, directories
    and their location in the tree as well as their timestamps and
    attributes we can get a good restoration of the original tree.

     /root/#PAR2DS/par2ds.md5ds
          |       /par2ds.par2
          /file1
          /file2
          /dir1/sub1/file1
               |    /file2
               /sub2/file1
   
     Use Case

      Saving
      1) Copy all data you want on CD or DVD into an arbitrary "root dir" on your HD,
         This root dir should hold only files to be archived
      2) Run "par2ds.exe -s" from the "root dir", this will create "root dir"/#PAR2DS
         subdirectory with the following files (existing ones to be deleted
         /root/#PAR2DS/par2ds.par2
               |      /par2ds.md5ds
      3) Start quickpar and select "new" button, a quickpar fileselection dialog will apear.
         You an use the right click assosiation on the dummy par2ds.par2 file.
      4) Start "windows find" from the "root dir" (typically right click, find)
         and locate all files. Depending on the type of files to archive you might want to enable
         finding system files, hidden files etc.
         Be sure the par2ds.md5ds is also "protected" by the par2 fileset (ie include in the search)
      5) Press Ctrl-A in find window to select all files and "drag "the selcted" files
         to the quickpar fileselection dialog. The sapath will be set to last directory in /root/ path
         name <root> and the basic file name wil also be set to <root>
      6) Set your desired blocksise and number of recovery block etc and generate your
         par2 fileset, possible change basig filename <root> to something more verbose.
      7) Store the / move the par2 fileset in "root dir"/#PAR2DS
      8) Burn your selection including "root dir"/#PAR2DS to CD,DVD or whatever

      Restore
      1) Rescue/copy all files from CD,DVD,whatever to HD to "root dir"
      2) Run quickpar from "root dir"/#PAR2DS,
         obviously no files orignal files except par2 set files will be found ;-)
      3) Start "windows find" from the "root dir" (typically right click, find)
         and locate all files
      4) Press Ctrl-A in find window to select all files and "drag "the selcted" files
         to the quickpar file pane
      5) Select repair and wait
      6) All file will be restored to the quickpar working directory but duplicates will
         be renamed, directory information is lost (no tree is  constructed).
         Files from the original set with equal names will be renamed.
      7) Run "par2.exe -s" and and all directory information is restored and files are
         renamed to their original names.
      Mission accomplisched
  [/code:q558go6t]