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Text File | 1995-07-16 | 12.4 KB | 282 lines | [TEXT/Edt7]

Cloaker by Grant Guenther •What is Cloaker? Cloaker is a program that will move resources, either to other types or to a text file. You can also encrypt your resources. •Why did you make Cloaker? So programmers don't have to worry about hackers and other types snooping around their resource forks looking for goodies or easter eggs... •But why would i want to use this? Several reasons. First of all, if you're making a program and, for example, you want a PICT resource but you don't want any ResEdit hackers to know that it even exists. you can use Cloaker to move the PICT resource as another type of resource. For further protection, you can even encoded the PICT and hardcode the decode in your program (i've done it in this one). Maybe there are some resources in a program you want to save as a text file. For instance, i knew of some Raw data pictures in this one program that i wanted to extract. I had to manually cut-and-paste segments of it, hoping i didn't make a mistake, and then try decoding it. With Cloaker, you can simply save that resource into a text file! Lastly, if you wanted to send encrypted files to friends, this will do that. It's not what it's really intended for, and not the best program to do so, but it IS possible and nearly impossible for any others to identify as "Whacked." You could, in fact, use it as personal protection--maybe you don't want anyone else do know about your "GIF collection"... There is another use, of which i'm a little reluctant to suggest: you could "piggyback" files on Macintosh archives and upload to Mac boards. For instance, you could take a GIF, save it as a resource on another GIF, and upload that file (or stuff it first). The piggyback GIF would probably not be found for a long time. That comes from a previous idea: if the user has the coding to display GIFs or covert GIFs->Picts, he can save his graphic data as GIFs (or JPEGS or whatever mows his lawn) instead of PICTs. For all this and more, I felt that $5 was enough... •I noticed a similarity between this and Torgo... that's because i wrote this one right after i finished Torgo 1.0a. I used much of the same coding and ideas. In fact, it was while i was writing Torgo that i found a need for this program. I wanted to move a resource from one type to another, but i couldn't--the resource was too big to cut-and-paste hex, so i couldn't possibly save it to either a text file OR the desired resource. I toyed around with the resource manager some, and did a quick-job doing it. i expanded that quick job to this. •What happens if i try to "replace" a file when i save? it all depends on what kind of file you're saving. if you're saving a data file -> a resource file, then the file will NOT be replaced-- rather, the resource you requested will be added. i made this so so you wouldn't have to create several files for several conversions-- you could save all your resources in one file. if you save a resource -> a data file, the data fork will be replaced but the resources should remain intact. if you are encoding or decoding a file, the file will be replaced with the new one, resource fork and all. •Why the difference between "normal" data files and PICT data files? When a program opens a PICT resource, it differs greatly than the same picture as a PICT data file. What's the difference? the data file has a header--it tells certain information about the picture, mostly a palette of colors to use. Resource picts use the System Palette. When you want to edit and save a picture with a graphic editor and use it as a resource in your program, save it as a PICT, run Cloaker, and save it to a resource from a PICT source. As a test, do this, and save it as a resource type PICT. Use resedit to open your file. you should see the pict you just imported! (unless you didn't use the system palette) When you import pict data files, the header is chopped off. this also means that, if you export a resource to a data file, you cannot open that data file as a pict (even if you changed the file type). no program will open it because it first reads a header...a header that's missing in your data file. the solution? use resedit, open your resource as a pict (you may have to move it to a PICT resource), copy, and paste in your graphic editor. •I moved a resource, but all it did was make a copy (ie the original resource didn't disappear) good...it shouldn't! tampering with resources is a dangerous thing, and i didn't think that everyone wanted me to erase their resources for them. the original reason i started this program, remember is that i wanted to move a resource from one type to another, and i could not. i had no means to. this fufills that need. if you want the original resource deleted, then i suggest you erase it yourself with ResEdit. •I noticed another kind of conversion: PICT -> StartUpScreen. Explain. I noticed that it was inconvienent to try and remove a PICT resource from a program without hassling around with cutting and pasting (assuming you have the memory to cut and paste the picture). Cloaker was originally designed for tasks like this at hand. What a startup screen is: if you save a picture file of type StartUpScreen (a popular format--it's available with GifConverter, GraphicsConverter, SuperPaint, Adobe Photoshop, and others). It is file that has a PICT resource of ID 0 in it. If you save this picture named StartUpScreen and put it into your System Folder, your Macintosh will read this file and show it at startup (instead of "Welcome to Macintosh"). If you convert a PICT resource to a StartUpScreen, you can use the above programs to open that picture. •What's this "AWB?" AWB (_A_NSI _W_anna_B_e) is a Ascii Art file. If you've used my Text Modifer, you should be familiar with this. In fact, it's the same as in Text Modifier, except now instead of relying on .raw data files, you can use PICTs! What does it do? It takes a PICT and converts it into an Ascii art file. You might want to note the following: a) Since this program converts the colors to black and white (and, in fact, takes your colors and converts them to system 256 colors), you may want to adjust your picture in greys (perhaps by changing it to standard 256 colors, and, better yet, reduced to 32 colors). b) You may want to scale your PICTs to 75x??? pictures. Most word processors have difficulty viewing texts with more than 80 lines (if you're using a standard font size 9). This program does not scale it for you. c) The BEST font to use, as I've seen, is IBMKlone, if you can find it. The second is Pica, and the next is Monaco. You can use whatever size you want; i suggest 9 for most uses. d) If you want to print you AWB on more than one page horizontally, Text Modifier 1.5 will help you cut large files in that way. e) I MIGHT in the future make a AWB->PICT converter. (I have it ready in my coding). However, i won't unless demand is great enough. •What's all in this package? -Cloaker: the main feature. -Whacked.lib, Whacked lib.h: Library and header file for Whacked encryption. -test: A file that contains a whacked PICT in it. Try it out! It is a full PICT (ie has a header), encrypted with keys 1, 2, and 3 on, and "Hello World" as the key (no quotes; case sensitive). First save the resource "test" id 128 as a data file. Then decode and save as "test." Use any program that opens PICTs to view it. (You will need to change the file type with ResEdit, Hax, FileLift, etc. to 'PICT'). -Cloaker ReadMe: the file you're reading right now! -Kewl Finder.pict / Kewl Finder.AWG: A demonstration of AWB. •Tell me about this "whacked" code. The Whacked Encryption Alogrithm (WEA) is a very small and simple encryption sequence. At the same time, it's an incredibly difficult encryption sequence to crack. There is one key (up to 255 characters) and 4 switches. Each switch will yield a different result. Now, according to the new law passed a year or so ago, i'm supposed to provide a backdoor. (This, btw, is fully unconstitutional). So I have. However, since i have no desire to create a program myself that could crack it (and none of the resources or time--read on), i will give you the alogrithm and anyone who wants is more than welcome to write the program. First of all, the key is variable length, from 0 to 255 characters, and, assuming there is no control-keys (which there aren't), there are about 223 valid characters (yes, this is case sensitive). Now, without the switches, you would have to decode an encrypted program 223*255 + 1 times...which is about 56865 files. Already, had this encoded file been 1k, we've used up about 56megs, and lord knows how long it would take to check each and every file... now, you have to repeat that for each of the switches, either on or off. for 4 switches there are about 16 combinations. 56865 x 16 = 909840 files. we're getting into the gigabytes now. ...and, of course, that's assuming you are using my alogrithm. if you were using some version of you're own, then you might as well give up. the combinations sky-rocket here. i doubt ANY supercomputer could possibly try to decode it, even if i told what the switches do. I include the library to my code so that any programmers can use it. My original purpose was to encrypt resources. For instance, let's say you write a Star Trek action game. You include some STR# resources that reveal that you can get a cloaking device. What if you don't want a hacker to find that out without playing the game? Better yet, let's say you copy-protect your software. Anyone who knows a thing or two about ResEdit knows that copy-protection, in general, doesn't work. Why? Hackers can open the resources and read them! Who needs a manual? This encryption will make it virtually impossible for such hackers to find (or, in the least, READ) your copy-protection. (I even used the encryption in this program. it works very well) •Version History 1.0a: Initial release 1.1a: Added the AWB feature, and changed it so that resources that already exist won't be written twice (ie no two resource types with the same ID). 1.2a: Found a minor easter-egg bug, so i removed it. Added the option of converting a PICT resource to a StartUpScreen file. Also found a bug in which the program would check Cloaker's own resources when converting from file to resource. •Future Enhancements: I see very few right now. I'm very pleased with this final product. The only criticism is the icon i use for "rsrc" files...if you can make a better one, let me know! ...i might disable some features while the program is unregistered. also: (this isn't an enhancement, really) i might make a quick and dirty encryption program using my Whacked code. In a way, i have already; the difference is that, when decoded, it's automatically a TEXT file (and whatever file you encrypt should be reset to the proper creator/file type). •How much does Cloaker cost? $5. I suggest you write out a check. If you have internet e-mail, let me know--as soon as i get payment, i'll send off your reg code asap. with us mail...?? You should be thankful, though, that this version is fully enabled, even if you haven't paid shareware. The cost of the Whacked encryption library is free--the only stipulation is that, if you use it, you must include me in the credits (ie "Whacked alogrithm by Grant Guenther") i would like i if you included the version of the alogrithm--if you look in the header file, it's a defined constant. •How do I contact you? I typically don't like giving out my mailing address, but it's the only way you can send money to me. if you want to contact me, please PLEASE do it through internet e-mail. response time is quick and i'm generally in a better mood when answering questions or taking complaints if done via e-mail. otherwise, you can snail me at: grant guenther 18250 fremont fort dr. peyton, co 80831 thru internet: grant@macshack.usa.net cats.godot@ionx.com maddie@ctnet.org (i might even be reached by tbolton@execpc.com, but i wouldn't recommend it..)