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Is Hex MacOS only?


Note that PDF :

1. Supports JPEG2000 compression, which is very similar to what DjVu uses for images

2. Supports JPEGs compressed with jpegli which is competitive with DjVu at higher quality settings

3. Supports JBIG2 for bi-level images, which is very similar to what DjVu uses for bi-level layers.


Any combination of ghostscript flags or something to turn a random pdf into one that uses these things to make a pdf as fast and small as a djvu?

https://github.com/internetarchive/archive-pdf-tools

Though note that this uses j2k by default and jpegoptim for JPEGs. For pages that are mostly just images (e.g. color comics) I prefer to use cjpegli on each page and img2pdf to combine them to a PDF.

Modifying archive-pdf-tools to allow use of cjpegli is something I keep meaning to look into[1], but not at the top of my list.

1: In my tests, cjpegli is more consistent than j2k compressors; that is, for each image there is a setting that j2k does as good, or better, than JPEG, but there is no setting for which j2k averages better than cjpegli because cjpegli just does such a good job of aggressively compressing while always looking good


ghostscript does not support jbig encoding, only decoding.

Right, if you look at PDF files from Internet Archive, they're usually compressed with MRC (Mixed Raster Content).

IIRC each page has three layers:

- background (jpeg, color)

- foreground (jbig2, monochrome maybe?)

- mask (indicating whether foreground or background should be shown at this point)

https://github.com/internetarchive/archive-pdf-tools


Ceramic tiles only last until a worker goes on the roof and breaks one. In the US, contractors routinely require you to release them from liability of any damage to ceramic tile shingles. Pest fumigation becomes much more of a pain.

That being said, if you want them, you can get them (this is how I know the above), and you can get other options. All of this is orthogonal to stick-frame construction. I've seen copper-roofs on stick-framed buildings even.


In a properly designed house there's almost never any need for a contractor to walk on the roof. Attics are fully insulated and are habitable, etc...

> Please do not say LTO tapes.

Literally every single reply to this comment mentions LTO; never change HN.


> Literally every single reply to this comment mentions LTO

So "mentions LTO" is true, but:

3 of the comments were disagreeing with claims OP made about LTO. That's a reasonable way to respond even when OP doesn't want to use LTO.

1 of the comments was saying something bad about LTO.

1 comment was really advocating LTO.


I specifically said do not mention LTO because I knew it would happen. LTO-advocates fail to see how pointless LTO is for someone who is well-served by a backup/archival strategy that uses optical media.

When I say "I'm concerned about whether I could buy newly manufactured drives and media in 10,20 years", the answer cannot possibly be "LTO". Because in order for LTO to make any economical sense, I would have to buy ancient LTO drives, and ancient LTO media compatible with those drives, and ancient computers compatible with the interfaces used by those drives.

Therefore I already know the answer on whether I could possibly buy newly manufactured LTO drives and media in 10,20 years, and it starts with a NO. Even today I would be forced to buy second-hand drives. Why would I even entertain LTO as an option, then?

Compare this to BD where in at least today you can buy a simple and cheap USB drive and new media, all of them manufactured today, and not break the bank while doing so. And drives have evolved from $propietary->PATA->SATA->USB, keeping up with the times and interfaces. (Interestingly, I can also buy newly manufactured USB 3.5inch floppy drives. But not media.)

I mean, certainly LTO has its advantages, but in the same way that someone requiring to archive 8TB of data would likely screech if asked to do so with BD media, it just doesn't make sense to suggest LTO as a long-term alternative here.


Really the one thing that's guaranteed to be manufactured in N years is _some kind of storage_. I wouldn't buy LTO-1 now, but later gens are going to be around for some time, just like CD-ROMs and other optical media, in some form. And readers will always exist barring an asteroid impact or whatever.

>Therefore I already know the answer on whether I could possibly buy newly manufactured LTO drives and media in 10,20 years, and it starts with a NO. Even today I would be forced to buy second-hand drives. Why would I even entertain LTO as an option, then?

You can still buy brand new LTO-1 media from 2000 - 26 years old. You shouldn't, but you can. https://www.malelo.com/Maxell_LTO_1_Ultrium_Tape_100_200GB_1... Then here's a cheap drive https://www.ebay.com/itm/355784908408

So if you needed to restore a backup from 26 years ago, it would not cost you very much.


This is just yet another example of a pointless argument, exactly as I mentioned. Why should I even care that you can scavenge for ancient stock (even if NOS), when my current concern is about something that is still manufactured _today_ ?

I know for sure optical media & DRIVES will still be available to purchase _brand new_ during the N years they're still manufactured, but also the M years that will follow where I will be able to find new/old stock after they stop manufacturing.

Period N by itself I expect is going to be somewhat long (see 3.5inch floppies), during which one can even expect to see drives with never interfaces (e.g. USB-C). Yes, I have no clue how long it is really going to be, and my concern is whether it will even last this decade.

OTOH I know 100% for sure period N is going to be effectively 0 for any LTO generation I could possibly buy. By the time LTO prices drop for some generation, it is because that generation is dead in the water.

And period M? It is going to incredibly long for optical due to popularity alone, much longer than _any generation_ of LTO could ever hope to be.

And if you say "well, certainly some form of LTO is going to be manufactured in 20 years from now": it should be obvious that I couldn't care less, unless that form of LTO would be able to read the tapes from any generation I can possibly buy now.

The fact that LTO-21 will still be manufactured is of absolutely no relief to someone with LTO-4 tapes. In fact, for all I'm concerned, it could very well be an entirely different media type only sharing the first three letters of the name.

These are not arguments in favor of LTO. If you're already assuming that if your LTO drive breaks you either scavenge for another or basically assume the loss and buy all new media from newer generation and repeat... what's the point of LTO then? Why not buy SmartMedia cards (to say the worst thing that comes to mind)? I'm sure you can scavenge readers and media, and probably will have an easier time finding and using them than with any specific LTO generation.

In the meanwhile, let me keep burning toasters; at least there is a small chance I may be able to buy new drives 20 years from now, using whatever interface replaces USB-C, and they will still be able to read my current discs.


I mean you said it yourself: if you have terabytes of data, BD isn't practical.

I feel like this is all just two totally separate use cases. Nobody wants to burn 20-40 BDs per TB, just like nobody wants to use a tape drive (or maintain a RAID array, or whatever else) to back up 500GBs of family photos and tax documents or whatever.

At some point the volume of data dictates what solutions are practical.


Yeah, with you 100% here. It's all about the volume and use case.

HN is full of people who backup but never restore. Lol

I'm hoping a few years down the road we'll have a greaseweazel equivalent for optical drives.

No recommendations, but you can get a thunderbolt to SAS adapter; they aren't cheap though.

Blu-ray drives are fast becoming hard to find, so I'd pack a USB bluray drive with your discs.

New computers don't have them and haven't for a few years. I purchased a drive recently and to get a quality drive, I had to go for a NOS pioneer drive, or get another LG, and the LG drives are kid-of shit.


How exactly are they becoming hard to find? There's literally tens of options for brand new drives I can order for next day delivery on Amazon, and endless choice of second hand options on eBay.

I don't know if it's still the case, but MbetTLS used to change its API as often as I change my socks.

I have known several highly productive people who were also neat.

I one had a roommate who, when they get stuck on a technical problem, start cleaning. The change of pace would often give them sparks of inspirations -- sort of like shower-thoughts without the shower.


It takes me longer to clean than it does for me to make a mess, so if I always start with a clean workspace, I will spend more time cleaning than working.

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