Follow @Openwall on Twitter for new release announcements and other news
[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2013 02:16:18 +0100
From: Frank Dittrich <frank_dittrich@...mail.com>
To: john-dev@...ts.openwall.com
Subject: Re: Markov stats file as a command-line option

On 01/16/2013 12:42 AM, magnum wrote:
> Frank,
> 
> Did you see this discussion?
> 
> https://github.com/magnumripper/JohnTheRipper/pull/153

No, I didn't

> I know you had some thoughts about this a year ago or so but I can't find it in the archives.

I didn't find the discussion, either.
But I am sure it must be somewhere.

I think using --markov[=...] plus --markov-stats (i.e., 2 options is
confusing.
Based on this logic, you would have to add
--incremental=... --chr-file= or something similar as well.

And adding the stats file to the existing --markov=option instead isn't
that easy, because there are already so many different optional parameters.
You would have to make sure the stats file name cannot be confused with
the markov section name.
That means. you would need to specify both section name and stats file
name. Then, you would need to make sure that the stats file name cannot
be confused with the other optional parameters.
The file name shouldn't contain colons. And it would need to contain at
least one character that isn't '0' - '9' or '-', so that it cannot be
mistaken vor the LEVEL (or MINLVL-MAXLVL).
Not that this can't be done.
But it would make the --markov interface even more complicated than it
currently is. You'd have to make sure doc/MARKOV gets updated as well.
Given the limited use I have for such an addition, I am not inclined to
implement this.


If you really create different stats files with such a high frequency,
and keep using all those stats files instead of just the last one, you
might as well use a script which adds a few lines to the end of your
john.local.conf.

[Markov:stats117]
.include [Markov:Default]
Statsfile = $JOHN/stats117

If you just want to use the last stats file you created, your section
could even look like this:

[Markov:mystats]

.include [Markov:Default]
Statsfile = $JOHN/stats001
Statsfile = $JOHN/stats002
...
Statsfile = $JOHN/stats116
Statsfile = $JOHN/stats117

Your script would just have to add a single line to the end of your
local conf file.
And if you want to separate your Markov experiments from your other
local changes, nobody prevents you from including a separate markov
config file into your john.local.conf file.


But you should not just ask me. Ask at least Simon ans Solar as well
about their thoughts.

Frank

Powered by blists - more mailing lists

Confused about mailing lists and their use? Read about mailing lists on Wikipedia and check out these guidelines on proper formatting of your messages.