UPX TODO list. Last updated 2000-12-29.



IMPROVED COMPRESSION RATIO
==========================

- experiment with new filters

- implement filters for linux/elf386

- implement filters for dos/exe

- filters: could we exploit a f->firstcall info field ?

- for small programs (e.g. < 64k), try an additional algorithm
  to see if it gives better compression


ALL FORMATS
===========

- more thoroughly test the exe-header in canPack()
  and throw exceptions when encountering bad values.

- implement `--cpu=486' option to use bswap on the 32-bit formats
    (if cpu >= 486)

- consider removing "sbb bp,bp" or "or ebp,-1" when not needed


FORMAT DJGPP2/COFF
==================

- handle overlays

- fix default file extension handling when the --coff option is set


FORMAT DOS/EXE
==============

- implement filters


FORMAT LINUX/386
================

- don't mmap() the temporary output file - this seems to improve
    file io speed


FORMAT LINUX/ELF386
===================

- implement filters

- implement compressWithFilters()


FORMAT TMT/ADAM
===============

- the decompressors are already aligned, no need for an
    extra alignment

- implement compressWithFilters()


FORMAT WATCOM/LE
================

- the decompressors are already aligned, no need for an
    extra alignment

- fix default file extension handling when the --le option is set

- handle holes in the file

- implement compressWithFilters()


FORMAT WIN32/PE
===============

- verify that compressWithFilters() works

- fix the section alignment with the Intel compiler

- decrease runtime memory overhead

- ??? compressing screensavers looses the description - probably
     should not compress a special resource type ???

2 - easy - mfx + ml) new switch(es) : do not compress resource types x,y,z
    or resource names a,b,c

3 - medium - ml) rebuild exports

3 - difficult) don't compress the BSS section and other holes.

4 - medium - ml) fix when objectalign < 0x1000

4 - easy - ml) put the original offset of moved resources somewhere into
    the res.dir. (if it's safe to do)

4 - ??? - ml) fix FIXMEs

5 - medium - ml) try to put the preprocessed imports & relocs back to their
    original section if possible. this could save some virtual memory
    address space.