170 lines
7.5 KiB
Rexx
170 lines
7.5 KiB
Rexx
Documentation for Apple.Rx
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This program requires an Apple IIgs or an enhanced //e or //c WITH
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a 65802 or 65816 microprocessor. A 65802 chip can be bought for
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around $20 and can easily be inserted in place of the 65C02 in the
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latter two machines.
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This program is "virus medicine". It will read your system files
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(and any other types you specify) and create a data file that
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contains information on these files. At any time, you can run it
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in check mode and it will report any of these files that have been
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altered. For obvious reasons, I am not going to detail exactly what
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sort of data the program saves, but suffice it to say that it is
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virtually impossible to change any of these files without detection
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by this program and it would also be very difficult to either alter
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this program or the data file it creates without detection.
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The program makes an effort to protect itself and its data file from
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modification. It encrypts itself and resaves itself whenever it is
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used to write a new data file. However, despite these safeguards,
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the safest way to use it is to keep this program and its data file
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on a separate dedicated 3.5" disk, which you use only for running
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this program.
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THE PROGRAM NAME
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If you do not keep this program on a separate dedicated disk then
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you should change its name, so that a viral program specifically
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looking for this program cannot easily find it and modify it.
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THE DATA FILE
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The name of the data file defaults to RX.FILE. This name is kept
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in the STARTUP position of the program. If not kept on a dedicated
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disk, then its name too should be changed using BLOCK.WARDEN from
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ProSel. Unless you give it a full pathname, it will be kept on the
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same disk as the program.
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THE VOLUME NAME
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The program must be told what volume to check. This defaults to
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/HARD1, but this can be changed via the Change defaults function in
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the program.
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FILES CHECKED
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The program has two means of deciding which files to check. (Ordinarily,
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pure data files need not be checked, only programs.) The first way it
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decides whether to check a file is by a list of file types it keeps.
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It will check all files whose file type is in this list. The list
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presently contains only SYS (type $FF) and S16 (type $B3) types. You
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should add the NDA, CDA and TOL types ($B8, B9 and BA) and the tool setup
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type $B6. There is an option in the program for modifying this list. For
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example, you could add type $06 for BIN files, or type $FC for BAS files.
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Since many BIN files are data files, however, it is probably best to use
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the second option for them.
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The second way it decides is by a list of "special files". This list
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presently contains the file PROSEL. Again, there is an option in the
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program for adding to and deleting from this list. Note that if you
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have a file name in this list and the file cannot be found, then a
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program error will be reported and the program will abort. In such a
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case, you must remove that file name from the list.
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It is suggested that you either add the type $F1 to cover the CD.EXT
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file, or add that file to the name list.
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Whenever you add a program file to your system, you should run Apple.Rx
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in check mode to make sure things are now ok, and then rerun it in
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Create mode to revise the data file to include the new program file.
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You should run this program in check mode at frequent intervals, perhaps
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every day, to quickly determine if a problem exists before it has a
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chance to spread further. In particular it is a good idea to run a
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check before backing up a hard disk.
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PASSWORD
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To protect itself somewhat, the program requires a password when you
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enter it. The initial password is APPLEAPPLEAPPLE (passwords are not
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case sensitive) and one of the first things you should do is to change
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it with the built in facility to do that. A password must be at least
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12 characters long, and when it is changed the program will encrypt
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most of itself and resave itself to disk. After that point you MUST
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remember your password. Recreation of the password from the encrypted
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file is virtually impossible unless you have the facilities of the CIA.
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It is in the nature of the encryption that even knowing the encryption
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algorithm, and having both encrypted and decrypted files at one's
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disposal will not, without gargantuan effort, yield the password that
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was used to drive the encryption. You can change the password any
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time you want, but you must know the old password to access the program
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in order to make that change.
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Some functions, including changing the password, are disabled and
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payment of the shareware fee will bring enabling instructions.
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WHAT THE PROGRAM CANNOT DO
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The program only checks that files have not been changed (by a virus
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or whatever). It cannot prevent damage by a program that does not
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change other files; for example, a program that just starts erasing
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a disk at a certain date. Only well kept backups can protect from
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that. Even backups cannot protect against a virus that invades other
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programs, however, and that is the purpose of this utility.
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DISEASE PREVENTION
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Nothing can be 100% protection against viruses. You should practice
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diligence and prevention. Do not ever download (and use) a program
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from a pirate board. (I can imagine and understand a software
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publisher uploading an infected program onto such boards, in sheer
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retribution.) Never use, in a susceptible environment (such as a
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hard disk), any program downloaded by or otherwise received from
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someone you do not know or in whom you do not have confidence.
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COPYRIGHT
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This program is copyrighted 1988 by Glen Bredon. It is expressly
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forbidden to give this program to anyone else or to upload it to any
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bulletin board. If the program was not uploaded by me to a major
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service then you should not use it. These restrictions are to make
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it more difficult for a look-alike contaminated program to be
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distributed.
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The program is SHAREWARE for $20. When you pay your fee, you should
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indicate where you got the program, so I can warn you if it is not
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legitimate. (Of course, this notice is unlikely to appear in a
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non-legitimate copy.)
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Just clip and mail:
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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To: Glen E. Bredon Re: Apple.Rx version 1.0
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521 State Road Software viral protection program
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Princeton, NJ 08540
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Glen:
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____ Enclosed is my check for $20 in payment for Apple.Rx. I obtained
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the program from: Compuserve
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(or)
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____ Enclosed is my check for $25, for which please send me the Apple.Rx
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program on a 5.25" disk. I understand that you will not distribute the
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program in this manner during the months of June, July and August.
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I understand that the payment entitles me to receive instructions on how
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to enable the disabled functions, and to receive a warning if my source
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for the program is not legitimate, and that I may download any future
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updates from the same source with no further payment, or obtain a revision
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from you for a P&H fee of $5. I further understand that it is not possible
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to have 100% sure protection against software viruses and that no such
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implied warrantee is given. I agree to abide by the copyright and to not
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distribute any copies of the program to other people or services.
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From: ________________________________________
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________________________________________
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________________________________________
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