Generating Md5

[pmonk]

So, I used MKW, md5summer, Audiophilia and Trader's Little Helper in generatiing md5 signatures.

In everyone's opinion, which one do you think is best??

before I had some "technical" issues with my computer I liked mkw performanace!

[U2Lynne]

They all give the same results, so what do you mean by 'best'?

[pmonk]

I know they all do the same thing more or less (a few differences like MKW and md5summ can generate a whole file md5 signature but TLH as far as I can tell only generates a md5 for the flac/shn files) I was just wondering what people are using and why?

[Five]

TLH
md5summer

I also use md5s for non-audio files from time to time.

[pmonk]

On a side note - how do you generate a md5 signature using mkw outside of using the right-click command???

[U2Lynne]

Hmmm, I couldn't figure that one out, Paul. I tried just opening mkw and dropping a folder onto it, but it just decoded the files. I tried dropping a folder with just text files in it, and it did nothing. So, I think the only way to generate and md5 with that application is to right-click Generate MD5 Signatures.

[feralicious]

I skipped class the day whole file md5s were taught. Is that the ones where they still verify even if you change metadata and stuff, or is that the st5 (is that what it's called?) thing?

regular md5 = ?

whole file md5 = ?

st5(?) = ?


Thanks.

[jazzbo]

Originally Posted by feralicious

I skipped class the day whole file md5s were taught. Is that the ones where they still verify even if you change metadata and stuff, or is that the st5 (is that what it's called?) thing?

regular md5 = ?

whole file md5 = ?

st5(?) = ?

Regular and whole file are the same thing; they will change if metadata changes, or for example if the compression level changes. Wholefile md5s can be created for any file and is used for all types of file verification, not just music trading.

A shntool md5 (or flac fingerprint) is the md5 of the uncompressed audio data, and only the audio data (so no tags or other header information.) It will stay the same regardless of the compression technique used.

[U2Lynne]

Regular md5s and wholefile md5s are the same thing:
6e2fe45aac694e3c7137ea18f58c9082 *u22001-10-24d1t01.shn
97cb07e3b25c33fc3ae278ab64546d0c *u22001-10-24d1t02.shn
etc.

Shntool md5s are the ones that will look the same as flac fingerprints:
d30f55b575f09df3ae6cb461bb0c81d1 [shntool] u22001-10-24d1t01.shn
9687eed0ae2a4ae551bc1dbc20a5600e [shntool] u22001-10-24d1t02.shn

flacs fingerprints of the same files in flac format:
u22001-10-24d1t01.flac:d30f55b575f09df3ae6cb461bb0c81d1
u22001-10-24d1t02.flac:9687eed0ae2a4ae551bc1dbc20a5600e

Notice how the flac fingerprints and the shntool md5s have the same 'fingerprint'.

When I create an shntool md5 using xACT, the default 'name' is fingerprint.ffp.txt . I believe Trader's Little helper gives it a different extension which is the st5 you are talking about (ShnToolmd5 - ST5).

[feralicious]

Thanks.

One more ?...

In order to check fingerprints, do you have to make a new set and then visually compare or is there an easier way to do it? Same question for the shntool md5.

[U2Lynne]

In xACT, on the mac, you just go to the checksum tab, drop the flac fingerprint in the window, hit Checksum and then say you want to Verify the files. Same thing with an shntool md5.

[Five]

Originally Posted by U2Lynne

When I create an shntool md5 using xACT, the default 'name' is fingerprint.ffp.txt . I believe Trader's Little helper gives it a different extension which is the st5 you are talking about (ShnToolmd5 - ST5).

yes, TLH gives the extension .ffp for FLAC fingerprints and .st5 for shntool md5.

you can use TLH to verify a set from the .ffp or .st5, or from files containing the same information with the .txt extension. Open TLH > Verify checksum file, find the fingerprints. The files to be checked must be in the same folder. If you just want to compare one set of fingerprints to another you have to compare visually.

[feralicious]

Ah.... I didn't know that. So you use the ffp file the same way as an md5 file. Cool. I was making a new set and comparing visually to make sure they were the same files the fingerprints came from.

[Five]

yeah, you've gotta open the ffp from TLH... maybe you'll be able to associate ffp and double-click it in the future.

[irishcrazy2005]

The one thing that I do like about whole file MD5s that you don't get with individual ones is that there is no quick and easy way to verify that all of the files are there.

-Phil