UPX or not UPX FreeDOS programs/TSRs?

Frantisek Hanzlik
2014-05-04T09:17:26Z

Hi all more experienced,

I'm trying to revise and update dosemu-freedos package (subset of
FreeDOS stuff used in DOSEMU usual installation) and I'm not sure,
what is better - whether packaged programs by UPX or not. Actual
dosemu-freedos-1.0-bin.tgz contains 40+ binaries, roughly half of
them is packed with UPX - generally as FreeDOS program maintainers
did.

And I'm not sure, what is optimal, use UPX or not. On some binaries
it cause significant space reduction - e.g. 'display.exe' 0.13b has
62535 Byte, and UPXed has only 3651 Byte.
On other hand - at current disks sizes few (dozen or hundred) kB is
nothing, and UPX packaging has perhaps its own disadvantages - and
maybe especially with TSRs (as 'display.exe' is) this may lead to
memory fragmentation(?).
Thus, what is Your opinion on the use of UPX?

Thanks, Franta Hanzlik