md5 is a command line utility which generates and verifies message digests (digital signatures) using the MD5 algorithm. This program can be useful when developing shell scripts or Perl programs for software installation, file comparison, and detection of file corruption and tampering.
A message digest is a compact digital signature for an arbitrarily long stream of binary data. An ideal message digest algorithm would never generate the same signature for two different sets of input, but achieving such theoretical perfection would require a message digest as long as the input file. Practical message digest algorithms compromise in favour of a digital signature of modest size created with an algorithm designed to make preparation of input text with a given signature computationally infeasible. Message digest algorithms have much in common with techniques used in encryption, but to a different end; verification that data have not been altered since the signature was published.
The most commonly used present-day message digest algorithm is the 128 bit MD5 algorithm. The MD5 algorithm has been implemented in numerous computer languages including C, Perl, and Jav
This is free and unencumbered software.
Website: www.fourmilab.ch/md5
Support:
Developer: Ron Rivest
License: Public Domain
md5 is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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