[NTLUG:Discuss] Perl program to get prime number, gunzip it to source code

[sysmail@glade.net]

Actually, it isn't really too bizarre, although it is a creatively thought
out parlor trick.

Either

 cat file1 file2 | gzip > barf.gz

or
 gzip --stdout file1 > barf.gz ; gzip --stdout file2 >> barf.gz

will produce equally unzippable files.

When you multiply the 'number' produced by gzipping the DeCSS code by a
power of 256, you are adding trailing nulls to the gzip, which carries its
own end of data mark.

Presumably you could find a prime that would add a second file into the
first gzip - that would be a nice challenge, if prime numbers really stir
your soul!

Regards,

Carl

On Tue, 20 Mar 2001, Christopher Browne wrote:

> On Tue, 20 Mar 2001 12:41:07 CST, the world broke into rejoicing as
> Chris Cox <cjcox at acm.org>  said:
> > Basically it extracts a the prime number off of a web site and
> > runs it through gunzip... thus producing the DeCSS program.
>
> It seems to work, bizarrely enough; how on _earth_ did they come up with
> this one?
> --
> (reverse (concatenate 'string "gro.gultn@" "enworbbc"))
> http://www.ntlug.org/~cbbrowne/finances.html
> "... the open research model is justified. There is a passage in the
> Bible (John 8:32, and on a plaque in CIA HQ), "And ye shall know the
> truth, and the truth shall set ye free." -- Dave Dittrich
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