Aminet FAQ

Why are filenames limited to 30 characters?

Aminet struggles to be backwards compatible with legacy AmigaOS versions. 30 characters including .readme suffix is the max. filename size on classic Amigas not using third party filesystems. We feel also that 30 chars should be more than enough, as a filename is just that, and you are able to describe your package in the .readme itself. Even with only 30 characters, you have at least 23^26 = 2.54E35 combinations of potential filenames :)

Why don’t you support LZX?

LZX is a closed source, Amiga only format. Shortly after releasing LZX, one of the authors joined Microsoft, who are now using LZX compression technology for (amongst other things) their proprietary archive format CAB. In other words: LZX is only available for m68k-amigaos, and that is unlikely to change. LZX is not Y2K compliant, and the available patches are not compatible to each other, let alone the various tools for extracting LZX. Additionally, LZX is said to have a bug when archiving lots of small files.

Can I update the information in one of my old readmes?

Yes. But please don’t reupload the whole package, just sent a mail to aminet@aminet.net and tell us what information needs to be updated.

How do I get my own directory on Aminet?

Send a mail to aminet@aminet.net and ask for your own directory. Append a list of packages (mods or pictures) that you have already uploaded or that you are going to upload.

How can I become a mirror maintainer?

Send us an e-mail to aminet@aminet.net. Please add details about bandwidth, contact details, your background and so forth, so we have something to judge on. If you are already running an unofficial mirror or frontend please contact us aswell to get matters done properly. The reason to not have unofficial mirrors laying around is mainly to ensure the authenticity of packages but also to protect the Aminet credibility and name.