textfiles/apple/DOCUMENTATION/rx

                    Documentation for Apple.Rx
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This program requires an Apple IIgs or an enhanced //e or //c WITH a 65802 or
65816 microprocessor.  A 65802 chip can be bought for around $20 and can easily
be inserted in place of the 65C02 in the latter two machines.

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This program is "virus medicine".  It will read your system files (and any other
types you specify) and create a data file that contains information on these
files.  At any time, you can run it in check mode and it will report any of
these files that have been altered.  For obvious reasons, I am not going to
detail exactly what sort of data the program saves, but suffice it to say that
it is virtually impossible to change any of these files without detection by
this program and it would also be very difficult to either alter this program or
the data file it creates without detection.

The program makes an effort to protect itself and its data file from
modification.  It encrypts itself and resaves itself whenever it is used to
write a new data file.  However, despite these safeguards, the safest way to use
it is to keep this program and its data file on a separate dedicated 3.5" disk,
which you use only for running this program.

THE PROGRAM NAME

If you do not keep this program on a separate dedicated disk then you should
change its name, so that a viral program specifically looking for this program
cannot easily find it and modify it.

THE DATA FILE

The name of the data file defaults to RX.FILE.  This name is kept in the STARTUP
position of the program.  If not kept on a dedicated disk, then its name too
should be changed using BLOCK.WARDEN from ProSel.  Unless you give it a full
pathname, it will be kept on the same disk as the program.

THE VOLUME NAME

The program must be told what volume to check.  This defaults to /HARD1, but
this can be changed via the Change defaults function in the program.

FILES CHECKED

The program has two means of deciding which files to check.  (Ordinarily, pure
data files need not be checked, only programs.)  The first way it decides
whether to check a file is by a list of file types it keeps. It will check all
files whose file type is in this list.  The list presently contains only SYS
(type $FF) and S16 (type $B3) types.  You should add the NDA, CDA and TOL types
($B8, B9 and BA) and the tool setup type $B6.  There is an option in the program
for modifying this list.  For example, you could add type $06 for BIN files, or
type $FC for BAS files. Since many BIN files are data files, however, it is
probably best to use the second option for them.

The second way it decides is by a list of "special files".  This list presently
contains the file PROSEL.  Again, there is an option in the program for adding
to and deleting from this list.  Note that if you have a file name in this list
and the file cannot be found, then a program error will be reported and the
program will abort.  In such a case, you must remove that file name from the
list.

It is suggested that you either add the type $F1 to cover the CD.EXT file, or
add that file to the name list.

Whenever you add a program file to your system, you should run Apple.Rx in check
mode to make sure things are now ok, and then rerun it in Create mode to revise
the data file to include the new program file.

You should run this program in check mode at frequent intervals, perhaps every
day, to quickly determine if a problem exists before it has a chance to spread
further.  In particular it is a good idea to run a check before backing up a
hard disk.

PASSWORD

To protect itself somewhat, the program requires a password when you enter it.
The initial password is APPLEAPPLEAPPLE (passwords are not case sensitive) and
one of the first things you should do is to change it with the built in facility
to do that.  A password must be at least 12 characters long, and when it is
changed the program will encrypt most of itself and resave itself to disk.
After that point you MUST remember your password.  Recreation of the password
from the encrypted file is virtually impossible unless you have the facilities
of the CIA. It is in the nature of the encryption that even knowing the
encryption algorithm, and having both encrypted and decrypted files at one's
disposal will not, without gargantuan effort, yield the password that was used
to drive the encryption.  You can change the password any time you want, but you
must know the old password to access the program in order to make that change.

Some functions, including changing the password, are disabled and payment of the
shareware fee will bring enabling instructions.

WHAT THE PROGRAM CANNOT DO

The program only checks that files have not been changed (by a virus or
whatever).  It cannot prevent damage by a program that does not change other
files; for example, a program that just starts erasing a disk at a certain date.
Only well kept backups can protect from that.  Even backups cannot protect
against a virus that invades other programs, however, and that is the purpose of
this utility.

DISEASE PREVENTION

Nothing can be 100% protection against viruses.  You should practice diligence
and prevention.  Do not ever download (and use) a program from a pirate board.
(I can imagine and understand a software publisher uploading an infected program
onto such boards, in sheer retribution.)  Never use, in a susceptible
environment (such as a hard disk), any program downloaded by or otherwise
received from someone you do not know or in whom you do not have confidence.

COPYRIGHT

This program is copyrighted 1988 by Glen Bredon.  It is expressly forbidden to
give this program to anyone else or to upload it to any bulletin board.  If the
program was not uploaded by me to a major service then you should not use it.
These restrictions are to make it more difficult for a look-alike contaminated
program to be distributed.

The program is SHAREWARE for $20.  When you pay your fee, you should indicate
where you got the program, so I can warn you if it is not legitimate.  (Of
course, this notice is unlikely to appear in a non-legitimate copy.)

Just clip and mail:

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To: Glen E. Bredon                  Re: Apple.Rx version 1.0
    521 State Road                      Software viral protection program
    Princeton, NJ 08540


Glen:

____  Enclosed is my check for $20 in payment for Apple.Rx.  I obtained

the program from:  Compuserve

 (or)

____  Enclosed is my check for $25, for which please send me the Apple.Rx
program on a 5.25" disk.  I understand that you will not distribute the program
in this manner during the months of June, July and August.

I understand that the payment entitles me to receive instructions on how to
enable the disabled functions, and to receive a warning if my source for the
program is not legitimate, and that I may download any future updates from the
same source with no further payment, or obtain a revision from you for a P&H fee
of $5.  I further understand that it is not possible to have 100% sure
protection against software viruses and that no such implied warrantee is given.
I agree to abide by the copyright and to not distribute any copies of the
program to other people or services.

From: ________________________________________

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