decoder-bundle-minimization/out/codec_compare.json

{
 "binary": "out/build/dyn_Os (476,864 B raw, sha256 94cc29dbfb2dd1e9ac2ae96fd6699789935cc16585b145ed02ca83361e9764ce)",
 "rows": [
  {
   "name": "xz + BCJ/x86, LZMA2 dict512K lc3 lp0 pb0 mf=bt2 nice96 (SHIPPED b.xz)",
   "bytes": 198792,
   "note": "decoder is free on the host (launcher already uses Python lzma); winner"
  },
  {
   "name": "zpaq zc56 stream (libzpaq level 5, 64 MiB block)",
   "bytes": 187197,
   "note": "smallest raw payload, but +16,476 B shipped libzpaq extractor = 203,673 B effective; loses"
  },
  {
   "name": "UPX 4.2.4 --best --lzma (upx -d restores byte-identical)",
   "bytes": 202768,
   "note": "self-extracting; no host decoder, no xz payload; loses by 3,912 B"
  },
  {
   "name": "7z PPMd mem=512m o=32 -mx=9",
   "bytes": 204453,
   "note": "needs a 7z binary on the host"
  },
  {
   "name": "brotli -q 11 -w 24",
   "bytes": 213027,
   "note": "needs brotli on the host"
  },
  {
   "name": "zstd --ultra -22 --long=27",
   "bytes": 222742,
   "note": "needs zstd on the host"
  },
  {
   "name": "bzip2 -9",
   "bytes": 248621,
   "note": "host-decodable via Python bz2, but far larger than xz"
  }
 ],
 "on_original_binary_1895080B": [
  {
   "name": "P5 tuned xz (--x86 --lzma2=preset=9e,dict=2097152)",
   "bytes": 760856,
   "note": "the baseline b.xz actually shipped in the 766,308 B bundle"
  },
  {
   "name": "xz best sweep (--x86 lzma2 dict16M lc4)",
   "bytes": 760120,
   "note": "736 B better than P5's choice"
  },
  {
   "name": "UPX --best --lzma",
   "bytes": 757436,
   "note": "upx -d restores the binary byte-identically (cmp verified)"
  },
  {
   "name": "zpaq zc56 / journaling -m5",
   "bytes": 680245,
   "note": "method 5 stream"
  },
  {
   "name": "7z PPMd mem=1024m",
   "bytes": 766383,
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "name": "brotli -q 11 -w 24",
   "bytes": 810902,
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "name": "zstd --ultra -22 --long=27",
   "bytes": 843201,
   "note": ""
  },
  {
   "name": "bzip2 -9",
   "bytes": 918182,
   "note": ""
  }
 ],
 "xz_parameter_sweep_on_dyn_Os": {
  "winner": "--x86 + lzma2 dict=524288 lc=3 lp=0 pb=0 mf=bt2 nice_len=96 depth=0 = 198,792",
  "alternatives": {
   "lc=4,pb=0": 198940,
   "lc=4,pb=2": 199228,
   "lc=2,pb=0": 199552,
   "lp=1": 199812,
   "dict=4M/16M": 198856,
   "no_BCJ": 208760,
   "BCJ start=0x64f0": 198988,
   "BCJ start=0x100000": 199136,
   "text/rodata split, BCJ on code only": 198404,
   "mf=bt4 nice=273 dict=1M (first best)": 198856
  },
  "note": "splitting .text from the rest and BCJ-ing only code saves 452 B but needs launcher reassembly (~+150 B), not shipped"
 },
 "extractor_experiment": {
  "px_dec": "minimal libzpaq one-shot decompress(), 51,608 B raw / 16,476 B xz (built -Dunix -DNOJIT -Os, gc-sections, stripped)",
  "verified": "decoded the zc56 payload back to a byte-identical dyn_Os (sha256 match), 2.96 s / 88,952 kB",
  "verdict": "zpaq payload + extractor = 203,673 B > 198,856 B xz; not shipped"
 }
}