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LinuxNoobX 01-26-2012 11:43 AM

Check Sum
 
I have never had an issue with download integrity but I noticed a few linux-related downloads list md5s(?).

I don't know a check sum from a hole in the wall and no one has ever told me they are used for file integrity or how to check file integrity... I can't explain it but I just sort of know naturally that that is what it is for.

More to the point... it seems that when using linux verifying file integrity is important so I sorta need to know what I need to know to confirm file integrity.

I am new at this so I could be way off base. Z/Z

spiky0011 01-26-2012 11:54 AM

md5sum /path/to/file it will then give you a long number check that number corrisponds to the number where you downloaded from

LinuxNoobX 01-26-2012 11:57 AM

Thanks Spiky Z/Z

ButterflyMelissa 01-26-2012 12:19 PM

Well, yes ... and no. You do not need to check the integrity of EVERYTHING you download, as long as you stay INSIDE the distro's repo. Wow, Latin ;) . More explanation. Linux comes in several flavors, wel call it a "distro". Every distro has a library of software for it, without that, Linux would still be very usable, but...you'd have to write all the software. Like re-inventing sliced bread...it's not very productive.
I noticed you use Mint, well, Mint has quite a bundle of software, for the everyday user, but a more selective user could time and again need/want/require software that's not in the repo, hence, download-n-check. The process is simple, let's take an example with a download, go to the download page for DSL, and look. All the way down, there is a file called dsl-4.4.10.iso, okay, right under that is an other file, open it and look, that's an MD5 checksum, let's use that.
Once the iso is downloaded , enter a console, navigate to the folder where the iso is located and issue:

Quote:

md5sum dsl-4.4.10.iso
this is what you should get back:

Quote:

5cb7e0d4506c249b78bbe0cd4695b865 dsl-4.4.10.iso
...now, compate this with the line of thext found on the download site.

If the two are identical, the downloads is clean...and safe to use.

Granted, DSL is somewat dated, but..it illustrated the concept. Try it! Download Crunchbang for example, they have a checksum too...did you notice?

Hope this helps!

Thor

LinuxNoobX 01-26-2012 12:31 PM

Thank you Thor 2.0... the explanation was easy to follow. "Somewhere on my hard drive..." you successfully transferred your consciousness to your hard drive! I tried that once but I couldn't find a floppy for the commodore 64 with the 5 and a quarter disk drive at the dump. Z/Z

ButterflyMelissa 01-26-2012 01:04 PM

Quote:

the commodore 64 with the 5 and a quarter disk drive at the dump. Z/Z
O please, do tell me you had a C64! I loved mine! Still have it, drive and all...
And yes, I live somewhere on the grand Hard Drive called Life!

Wellness to you! And, welcome to the forums!

Thor

LinuxNoobX 01-26-2012 01:26 PM

:) My first was a Tandy CoCo 3 with 128k total memory but my cousins in Gander had a Commodore 64 and they taught me how to use it. I used the Commodore 64 reference because NOBODY knows what a CoCo 3 is. Z/Z

ButterflyMelissa 01-26-2012 01:38 PM

Quote:

because NOBODY knows what a CoCo 3 is
Are you kidding? Of course I remember...I actually started out on a ZX81, 128Kb was out of reach for me. A CoCo would have been the next step, but an aquaintance recommended the C64...possibly for the best, I suspect the CoCo to be too expensive for me at that time anyway...
Too bad, beause my favorite CPU was (and is) the Z80A, elegant machinecode...great little puncher...

Ah...sweet memories... :)

Thor

LinuxNoobX 01-26-2012 01:52 PM

Ah the days when a computers primary selling point was that it had more than 2 colours and could play Thexder or Silpheed. Good call on the C64 though...much friendlier and much better games than the CoCo 3 ... some really odd games as I recall...Transformers and Mario Bros were cool but then there were the "odd" ones like some messed up game where the objective was to answer questions correctly or a smoker would take a drag.

Any who... Imma take a nap... nice chatting though. Z/Z

ButterflyMelissa 01-26-2012 02:09 PM

No sweat...likewise

:)


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