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-   -   General Debugging Question (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/programming-9/general-debugging-question-43146/)

Cruelpeace 01-28-2003 06:58 PM

General Debugging Question
 
Okay, I am an inexperienced, uneducated, and pretty much unknowing programmer. It's just recent that I have tried to enter the world of programming. Right now, I am trying to slightly modify a game.

How would you be able to find what kind of changes in memory are made when something is performed in a program? This game allows you to actually show the full map with a cheat code but it can also be used as an option when starting certain games. What kind of software would you recommend to watch the memory information so I can eventually write a program to go in and change this myself? I am running MacOSX if that changes anything. Thanks for any help that you guys give me. I know this message is unclear but I was being rushed while writing it.

acid_kewpie 01-29-2003 02:36 AM

we would not recommend ANY software to help you crack games.

Darin 01-29-2003 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by acid_kewpie
we would not recommend ANY software to help you crack games.
even if we did know.
<whistles innocently>

Cruelpeace 01-29-2003 03:23 PM

Cracking?
 
I never said anything about "cracking" a game... By that I guess you mean illegally getting it to run or whatever. I am messing with the game Command and Conquer. I want to figure out how to make a trainer that would change the gold counts, etc... (much like a Gameshark or Action Replay works on console systems). I don't understand why you show resentment for the uneducated? It's not like I plan on using knowledge maliciously and after I do learn I plan on helping others learn it. Well..thanks anyways. I always thought the Linux community was more helpful but I guess they've turned to "Microsoft" scum now. Peace.

acid_kewpie 01-29-2003 04:25 PM

it's not a case of being helpful, it's a case of being generally responsible and declining to discuss these issues. trainers still involve cracking software, even if the end goal is not to enable copying and such like does not make it fundamentally different. Just because Linux is open source software does not mean user all want to crack software etc...

Darin 01-29-2003 04:57 PM

AQ is correct, a "trainer" is still a "crack" but if you want answers I'd suggest you just try another venue since it doesn't sound like anyone here will give you what you want.

Cruelpeace 01-29-2003 05:05 PM

Hmm
 
I'm bitterly confused.... What is the difference between hacking and cracking? Was the Linux operating system not first created because many people actually hacked and tinkered with the code of Linux's kernel and distributions that came about? Is this hacking ethics not what influenced the development of thousands of open source software applications that we know of today? Or is it that these applications were created because the people were simply bored but didn't want to change or imitate what they saw? Anyways, thanks for your help. I've decided that this forum is bitterly confused in their ethics and philosophy along with sharing of knowledge. There is no responsibility with knowledge as there is no responsibility with freedom. Thanks for all the help you didn't give me and I can't wait to see the world end up the way you people think you want to see it ... information and power only in the hands of the elite. Peace.

acid_kewpie 01-29-2003 05:13 PM

they "hacked and tinkered" with what they were welcome to tinker with. If you are not aware of the differences between hacking and cracking i'd suggest it's you who's confused.

Cruelpeace 01-29-2003 05:16 PM

Okay I appolize before anyone replies. I didn't have the intention of starting a philosophy flame war or anything. I am just sickened by this eliteness attitude portrayed by a moderator. I understand that you are afraid of commercial software being vandalized and distressed as you yourself are probably a commercial software developer in some form. I also understand that you like to firmly seperate open source software from that of closed source. I know what you are trying to say, but before you get angry at me for argueing or "flaming" you, I ask you one more time if you could show me exactly what you are talking about. Today, I wrote my first functional C++ program, after on-and-off dabbling for 3 years now. I did it without the direct assistance of a book or anyone by my side. I'm not a meager little munchkin trying to rip off a commercial entity for their money nor am I trying to vandalize or otherwise disrupt a peice of commercial software. I am just a young male in search of information. Thank you and long live Linux.

acid_kewpie 01-29-2003 05:40 PM

where is all this "philosphical" nonsense coming from?? sure there is a lot of philosphy based around the concepts and principles of open source which is all very well in it's place. However what you are seeking in this particular thread simply goes against the rules of this site, nothing more or less than that. There are a LOT of debates about these issues on this site but they are there on their own merit and not as a complaint against why we will not teach you how to break into programs.

Cruelpeace 01-29-2003 05:48 PM

Once again, I apologize. The philosophical standpoint comes from your reference to completely declining any information without any reason whatsoever. You don't know me, you don't know what I want ot what I wish to accomplish. All you know is that I said I want to "crack" the software. I simply stated that I wanted to tinker with the software in order to see how it works. You say that I have malicious means. I simply wish to learn. You refuse to help me yet leave me no alternatives. You also say that this is against board rules yet when I look under the programming forum's title in the description, I see it welcomes "any question". I wish to learn and expand,. You simply ignore and withhold. This is where my Philosophy standpoint comes in. I beleive what you are trying to do is not decline to help me "crack" a game but that you think you know what I am and what I am doing so you refuse to help my kind. You know what? It doesn't matter. In the end, I will figure it out with or without your help. Maybe it's best that I figure it out on my own anyways? Unfortunately, I've written one application my entire life. How do I learn to debug based off of that? How am I supposed to see a living representation of how software runs? What if I don't learn so fluently out of books or written descriptions? Who cares? It doesn't matter. I try to read between your lines since you obviously don't say what you want on your lines. Others will look at this like "What the hell is he talking about?" But then there are those few who would tend to agree with me. Thanks for your help. Lock this post if you wish to tyrantise your forum. I'm gone anyways.

acid_kewpie 01-29-2003 05:52 PM

think what you want. i'm going to bed.

trickykid 01-29-2003 06:12 PM

When you refer to "crack", your meaning this:

To copy commercial software illegally by breaking (cracking) the various copy-protection and registration techniques being used.

When someone "hacks", it's referred to this:

To modify a program by changing the code itself.

or

Code that is written to provide extra functionality to an existing program.

You need to realize Cruelpeace that when your asking to crack a commercial closed source program (or game in your case), your asking someone to do something illegal for you. We don't deal with any sort of illegal activity nor help others to accomplish this in which your asking us to do on this site. That not only breaks the rules we have set on this site, but I'm sure many others with the program itself.

It says ask any question yes, but that doesn't mean ask illegal questions that break laws.

Cruelpeace 01-29-2003 06:28 PM

Heh I could never leave this bored, it's too wealthy in information :) I'm just mad ;(

"When you refer to "crack", your meaning this:

To copy commercial software illegally by breaking (cracking) the various copy-protection and registration techniques being used. "

------ I had no intention of breaking any copy protection or registration techniques being used.

"When someone "hacks", it's referred to this:

To modify a program by changing the code itself. "

---- I had every intention on not doing this but instead, what you said to add extra functionality to an existing program. Did I phrase my question wrong? Thank you for describing exactly what he, and you mean. I actually understand now.

trickykid 01-29-2003 06:36 PM

Well even though you want to hack the program just to view and modify for educational purposes, the program is closed source. Westwood Studios ( I think they make it right or whoever ) did this for a reason. They don't want anyone to view or modify it.
Even though you want to do this with doing no harm intended, its still breaking the law. That is why we can't help you in achieving this.

Maybe if you want to see a part of the source code you could contact the makers and see if they would provide the code for the part you'd want to see for yourself. That would be the only way I know of possibly to keep it legal. Or tell them what you want to add to the program and see if they allow you access ??

Just a thought.


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