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From: WARNOCK@clemson.CSNET.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.vax
Subject: RE: Checksum, what is it ?
Message-ID: <8702271041.AA16670@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Thu, 26-Feb-87 22:34:00 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.8702271041.AA16670
Posted: Thu Feb 26 22:34:00 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Feb-87 06:46:14 EST
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Checksum is a DCL command (sys$system:checksum.exe) of the format:

$ CHECKSUM filename

Checksum is used a lot by DEC when they ship a patch out in in printed form. 
Basically, if you run patch on a given file (ie: one that you typed in from DEC
documentation), and then run checksum against it, a value is returned in the
symbol checksum$checksum.  This can then be compared to the known value (ie:
calculated by DEC by running checksum against the patch they type in.)  This
insures that you type in EXACTLY what they meant (down to the last space,
comment, and period !) 

Hope that explains it a bit...


Todd Warnock
Clemson University
CSnet:	Warnock@Clemson.CSnet
BITnet:	Warnock@Clemson