Fixes in 1992/nathan/README.md

Restore absent-minded change of make all to make nathan.

Fix typos.

Fix formatting (the text in the sections is indented which makes it all
code blocks). This problem is probably because originally the file was
not README.md (though it was still considered markdown). Many other
README.md files have this problem which I will fix in time.
This commit is contained in:
Cody Boone Ferguson committed 2023-03-05 04:59:27 -08:00
1 parent 7ce115c005
commit 8a1025d63b
1 file changed
+75 -69
+75 -69
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@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
## To build:
make nathan
make all
### To run
@@ -17,42 +17,45 @@
## Judges' comments
Try:
Try:
./nathan obfuscate < nathan.c > foobarf.c
./nathan - obfuscate < foobarf.c > barfoof.c
diff nathan.c barfoof.c
WARNING:
The judges make no claim as to the strength or security
of this program. It is likely to be nil, or the next
best thing to it. Still, you might consider installing
it in /usr/games/nathan. :-)
### WARNING:
NOTE:
The 'winning' catagory is also open to question. One could say
that it is a 'file obfuscator'. One could also say that it
unintentionally abused the intent of rule #7 (that programs
should be freely redistributable). We suspect that the author
may not have intended to do this, but that is the way things go
sometimes.
The judges make no claim as to the strength or security
of this program. It is likely to be nil, or the next
best thing to it. Still, you might consider installing
it in /usr/games/nathan. :-)
BTW, 'abuse of the rules' entries do not violate the rules.
Entries that violate the rules are disqualified. Abuse of the
rules entries are ones that tend to 'stretch' the limits and
take the contest into unexpected territory.
### NOTE:
The 'winning' category is also open to question. One could say
that it is a 'file obfuscator'. One could also say that it
unintentionally abused the intent of rule #7 (that programs
should be freely re-distributable). We suspect that the author
may not have intended to do this, but that is the way things go
sometimes.
BTW, 'abuse of the rules' entries do not violate the rules.
Entries that violate the rules are disqualified. Abuse of the
rules entries are ones that tend to 'stretch' the limits and
take the contest into unexpected territory.
### Historical notes for this entry from the judges
### Historical notes from the judges about this entry
The US International Traffic in Arms Regulations controls certain
exportations going out of the United States. The U.S. Munitions
List gives the specific categories of restricted exports. Because
this entry at one time appeared to fall under this restricted catagory, the
judges originally were not able to distribute winners outside of the USA.
The US International Traffic in Arms Regulations controls certain exportations
going out of the United States. The U.S. Munitions List gives the specific
categories of restricted exports. Because this entry at one time appeared to
fall under this restricted category, the judges originally were not able to
distribute winners outside of the USA.
Nathan Sidwell stated that he was willing to distribute the winning source. To
read HIS instructions of how to obtain his winning program one was able to run:
Nathan Sidwell stated that he was willing to distribute the
winning source. To read HIS instructions of how to obtain his
winning program one was able to run:
make nathan
./nathan
@@ -60,61 +63,64 @@
to learn how to get a copy of the code.
See the 1992/nathan.c file in the
[../../archive/archive-1992.tar.bz2](archive/archive-1992.tar.bz2) tarball if
you're interested in this file.
### Personal note from chongo:
I think the situation showed just how ridiculous US crypto
regulations really were/are. Certain US federal officials can get away
with shipping arms to certain nations in apparent violation of US
laws, but I personally can't re-distribute a program contest winner
to the network!
I think the situation showed just how ridiculous US crypto regulations really
were/are. Certain US federal officials can get away with shipping arms to
certain nations in apparent violation of US laws, but I personally can't
re-distribute a program contest winner to the network!
## Author's comments
PROGRAM USE
### PROGRAM USE
This program is a hello world text encrypter/decrypter. It uses an
enigma (I think) style encryption algorithm, where the encryption
key character is modified by a value, determined from the previous
character. Non-printable characters (those with ASCII values < ' '
or > 0x7e) are passed unaltered, thus any kind of file may be
successfully procesed, but if the original is printable, the
processed file will be too. The input is read from stdin, and the
output presented to stdout. The key, a text string, is presented as
a command argument. This is optional, and if ommitted, the file is
self-{de,en}crypted. To specify decryption, a "-" should be given
before the key. (Actually encryption and dycryption proper inverse
operations, so you can use decrypt to scramble and encrypt to
descramble, if you're perverse.)
This program is a hello world text encryptor/decryptor. It uses an
enigma (I think) style encryption algorithm, where the encryption
key character is modified by a value, determined from the previous
character. Non-printable characters (those with ASCII values < ' '
or > 0x7e) are passed unaltered, thus any kind of file may be
successfully processed, but if the original is printable, the
processed file will be too. The input is read from stdin, and the
output presented to stdout. The key, a text string, is presented as
a command argument. This is optional, and if omitted, the file is
self-{de,en}crypted. To specify decryption, a "-" should be given
before the key. (Actually encryption and decryption proper inverse
operations, so you can use decrypt to scramble and encrypt to
descramble, if you're perverse.)
PORTABILITY (A little knowledge is a dangerous thing)
### PORTABILITY (A little knowledge is a dangerous thing)
It's written in ANSI C, and doesn't even assume an ASCII character
set, (it has an array of the characters to convert), so should be
portable across many platforms. It passes gcc -ansi -pedantic -O
-Wall with no warnings (You may get assignment in conditional
warnings on other platforms though). Because I've heard that
conditional jumps slow down fast processors, I've eliminated all
the ifs from the code, indeed, as its only one statement, it should
compile to one instruction an a suitably designed CISC machine. To
speed compilation, there is only one statement in the loop, so that
another scoping level does not need to be opened.
It's written in ANSI C, and doesn't even assume an ASCII character
set, (it has an array of the characters to convert), so should be
portable across many platforms. It passes gcc -ansi -pedantic -O
-Wall with no warnings (You may get assignment in conditional
warnings on other platforms though). Because I've heard that
conditional jumps slow down fast processors, I've eliminated all
the ifs from the code, indeed, as its only one statement, it should
compile to one instruction and a suitably designed CISC machine. To
speed compilation, there is only one statement in the loop, so that
another scoping level does not need to be opened.
Being an encrypter/decrypter, you probably want the source code to
be obfuscated, to hide the algorithm.
Being an encryptor/decryptor, you probably want the source code to
be obfuscated, to hide the algorithm.
OBFUSCATION
### OBFUSCATION
Inspite of the fact that it looks like a nice friendly hello world
program, it isn't (as documented above). (Short lines have been padded,
as you'll find if you look at an encrypted copy of the source.)
In spite of the fact that it looks like a nice friendly hello world
program, it isn't (as documented above). (Short lines have been padded,
as you'll find if you look at an encrypted copy of the source.)
I've also named some of the macros from commonly used functions,
just to keep things muddy. Of course, all the variables are
misnamed. The program is kept simply (one for statement), by
serious overuse of , and ? :. These are really confusing when used
together, nested or put in argument lists (is that a comma
operator, or argument separator?)
I've also named some of the macros from commonly used functions,
just to keep things muddy. Of course, all the variables are
misnamed. The program is kept simply (one for statement), by
serious overuse of , and ? :. These are really confusing when used
together, nested or put in argument lists (is that a comma
operator, or argument separator?)
Copyright (c) 1992, Landon Curt Noll & Larry Bassel.
All Rights Reserved. Permission for personal, educational or non-profit use is