dynamics of md5sum

[Seth David Schoen]

Jim Franklin writes:

> Hi folks
>   I was wondering if someone could explain the dynamics of using md5sum
> or if there is an URL where I could find out.  When I created my Debian
> 2.1 CD it was there to verify the download but since I didn't know how
> to use it I just took the chance that the download was OK.

Just run it on a file or files.

[schoen@zork schoen]$ md5sum /bin/cat
a323ae01ea537952da08073d7c4953df  /bin/cat

The hex number you get on the left is strongly dependent upon the
contents of the file.  (The significance of "strongly dependent" could
be the subject of a PhD thesis, and often is.)

-- 
                    Seth David Schoen <schoen@loyalty.org>
      They said look at the light we're giving you,  /  And the darkness
      that we're saving you from.   -- Dar Williams, "The Great Unknown"
  http://ishmael.geecs.org/~sigma/  (personal)  http://www.loyalty.org/  (CAF)