[ale] Re: RPM that isn't

[jim]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I ran rhmask on the correct file and now
Real Player works. The problem with "RTFM" is that there are enough manuals
and manual entries to spend a lifetime on. A "README" in the same directory
as the file would have been a great idea.


Jeff Waldrop wrote:

> 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