The electron-beam-pumped KrF laser installation GARPUN with a 100-J output energy and long 100-ns pulse duration has been used to investigate laser–target interactions in a broad range of laser intensities for small (150 μm) and large (∼1 cm) irradiated spots. For higher intensities (up to 5 × 1012 W/cm2), a conical shock wave was generated in condensed matter by megabar pressure at the ablation front. It propagated with a supersonic velocity in a quasisteady manner together with a conical shock wave inside a target. Evaporated target material moving with a velocity of ∼50 km/s formed an extended plasma corona of ∼5 mm length with an electron temperature of ∼100 eV. Emission spectra of plasma have been investigated in the extreme UV range 120–250 Å. For lower intensities (108–109 W/cm2), planar shock waves in normal density air were produced with initial velocities up to 4 km/s in the forward direction and 7 km/s in the opposite direction toward incident radiation. In rarefied air, the forward shock wave kept velocities constant whereas the backward ones were accelerated up to 30 km/s. Planar compression waves in transparent condensed matter were also demonstrated propagating with sonic velocity.