[ale] RPM that isn't

[Jeff Waldrop]

jim:  In response to:

> Since I had no luck at all with the Real Player I got from real.com, I
> decided to try the latest updated rpm for it from the Red Hat ftp site.
> It had the .rpm suffix, followed by .rhmask-5 (I assume for Red Hat
> 5.0). But rpm tells me this is not an rpm file and won't install it. If
> I remove .rhmask-5, the response is the same. It IS supposed to load,
> isn't it?
>

You need to get the "rhmask" rpm, either from the Red Hat ftp site or
from the Red Hat installation disk.  Once you install it, there is a
man page for it; however, the idea is that you need to have an
original version of the software rpm, and using the "rhmask" program
you can create an updated rpm using the encripted "rhmask" file:

NAME
       rhmask - generates and recovers file masks

SYNOPSIS
       rhmask <infile> <maskfile>
       rhmask -d <infile> <outfile> <maskfile>

DESCRIPTION
       rhmask  is  intended to allow the distribution of files as
       masks against other files. This lets new versions of soft-
       ware  be freely distributed on public internet servers but
       limits their usefulness to those who already have  a  copy
       of  the  package. It uses a simple XOR scheme for creating
       the file mask and uses file size and md5  sums  to  ensure
       the integrity of the result.

       There  are three files involved in this process. The first
       is the file which both parties much had, which is referred
       to  as  the infile.  The file which the user would like to
       end up with is the outfile and the mask generated  between
       the two is the maskfile.

Jeff Waldrop
Computer Generation Incorporated    http://www.compgen.com
Building G, 4th Floor               Voice: (404) 705-2800
5775 Peachtree-Dunwoody Road          Fax: (404) 705-2805
Atlanta, GA  30342                  E-mail: jeffrey.waldrop at compgen.com