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Re: md5sum proposal



Hi,

        I still do not see why this has anything to do with the
 packaging system. If all you want is to ensure that the files on your
 system have not been modified since the time you installed them (and,
 frankly, I think you really really should also look at things like
 /etc/hosts.allow  et al which are ven more critical), then you should
 run a script locally that does that. 

        Why forther bloat the packaging system?

        manoj


>>"Christoph" == Christoph Lameter <christoph@lameter.com> writes:

 Christoph> On Mon, 24 May 1999, Branden Robinson wrote:
 >> I will formally oppose any proposal to require md5sums files within Debian
 >> packages unless it makes absolutely clear that they are not a defense
 >> against intrusion, but only against "mindless" data corruption like a
 >> failing hard disk.

 Christoph> Or a virus... usually they are also not that
 Christoph> intelligent. Or whatever else we dont know right now which
 Christoph> might modify files in the wrong such as a broken binary /
 Christoph> library. md5sums are not a protection against a hacker who
 Christoph> is an expert at his trade but it is a protection against
 Christoph> joe-hacker round the corner who just replaces a
 Christoph> binary. These are the average persons I have
 Christoph> encountered. Plus it is also a protection against
 Christoph> myself. On occasion I have replaced a binary manually to
 Christoph> fix a burning issue or for testing and forgotten about
 Christoph> replacing the original afterwards.

 Christoph> md5sums are a general way to be able to verify the integrity of individual
 Christoph> files and I think we need that.

-- 
 Dead? No excuse for laying off work.
Manoj Srivastava   <srivasta@debian.org>  <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
Key C7261095 fingerprint = CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05  CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E


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