Re: Switching release media dist sets to .tzst (tar + zstd)?

From: Tomek CEDRO <tomek_at_cedro.info>
Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2024 21:35:12 UTC
On Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 10:16 PM Ed Maste <emaste@freebsd.org> wrote:
> I have been reviewing parts of the release artifact build process,
> including ISO and memstick images, and came across the distribution
> sets (e.g., base.txz, src.txz) used by the installer to populate new
> file systems. I’d like to discuss switching these to .tzst (tar +
> zstd) compression.

Why?

> While I haven’t yet conducted detailed benchmarks comparing zstd and
> xz specifically for this use case, here are some initial
> considerations:

Benchmarks would be nice know what is the time-space benefit :-)

> Pros of zstd:
> - Faster compression and decompression speeds.
> - Aligns with the compression method used for FreeBSD packages.
>
> Cons of zstd:
> - Somewhat larger compressed file sizes.
> - Requires updates to tools that interact with distribution sets.
> - May have limited availability on some other operating systems (?).

Seems like more cons than pros at first glance and even more in depth?

> Feedback Requested:
> Is there support for this idea? Are there objections to pursuing this?
> Are there other factors I should consider, especially compatibility concerns?

Not much clear benefit for a large (compatibility) breaking change on
many levels, sounds like a NO GO :D

-- 
CeDeROM, SQ7MHZ, http://www.tomek.cedro.info