RE: [libreoffice-users] Re: Working on an archive site/pages for LOand the DVD

On Monday, October 10, 2011 10:57 AM webmaster for Kracked Press
Productions [mailto:webmaster@krackedpress.com] responded:

> OK, I never really saw that check box before. And what is that "..." 
> after the md5sum mean?

There are other formats, MD5 (Message Digest v5) is just one of numerous
cryptographic hash functions ( see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptographic_hash_function ) that can be
used to calculate a unique "signature" for a file.  The Document
Foundation uses the MirrorBrain FOSS Download Director to manage
download content including provision of several common cryptographic
hash values (MD5, SHA-1, SHA-256) for each datafile.

> If you check the box and then use the "Other way to download 
> LibreOffice, the productivity suite", how do you use the md5sum files?

> How do you deal with these md5sum files to determine if your download 
> file is "proper"?  What is the process?  If I knew about that, I may 
> have looked into those files before.

Usage is pretty simple, you don't need to install anything--you just
compare the HASH value listed against the calculated HASH value of the
file downloaded.

Unix and Linux have built in commands either "digest -a
md5|sha1|sha256", "md5sum", "sha1sum" or "sha256sum"--one of them will
be there as needed.

There are similar utilities for windows command line, but Microsoft
doesn't provide one with the OS. Simple web search will give you
multiple choices.

But, I actually prefer to install a GUI helper utility for working with
the HASH values, and I find the Hash & CRC freeware from febooti meets
our needs found here (
http://www.febooti.com/products/filetweak/members/hash-and-crc/ ).

Once installed, the utility extends the Windows shell and provides a
"Hash / CRC" on the file properties tab. You check the Hash type you
need to calculate and apply. The resulting Hash is then compared against
the Hash you made note of--or have open in the download Web page.

> The problem for me is I never have seen a way to generate a md5sum file

> for files I created.  I never downloaded those files before either.  It

> is just one more thing to download, if I had that option.

Use the Unix/Linux command line or one of the Windows utilities allows
to calculate the HASH value, then post it with a label as to which HASH
it is, be used when distributing the datafile.

> Can I download both for each install and list them on my site? ...

Each datafile being served for download (or simply being exchanged)
should be provided with its unique HASH value in one of the common
formats. Doing so is just good security and distribution practice.

Regards,

Stuart 


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