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