Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!psuvax1!psuvm!cmh117
From: CMH117@PSUVM.BITNET (Charles Hannum)
Newsgroups: alt.hackers
Subject: Re: CS curriculae (was Re: Distributed Hacking :-)
Message-ID: <90011.150343CMH117@PSUVM.BITNET>
Date: 11 Jan 90 20:03:43 GMT
References: <5458@udccvax1.acs.udel.EDU>
 <BOB.90Jan10105229@volitans.MorningStar.Com> <1146@crash.cts.com>
Organization: Penn State University
Lines: 68
Approved: The WIZ!

In article <1146@crash.cts.com>, guhsd000@crash.cts.com (Paula Ferris) says:
>
>So, what are some of your accomplismnts that you'll admit to.  The majority
>of mine are curiosity motivated....
>
>Mickey D's
>General Dynamics
>Pizza Hut
>Pacific Bell
>Mountain Bell
>Dow Chemical
>UCSD (several systems)
>Tymnet
>Telenet
>
>Those are among some of the more reconizible ones I've roamed through, and
>out again...Strange though, the VAST magority of the large systems I've
>peeked into are virtually unused...

Listen, bub.  You're definitely not a hacker.  You're what's known as a
"phreak" or a "cyberpunk" or an "idiot" or, to put it plainly, "a god damned
asshole".  If you want to break the law, then don't tell the whole net about
it.  Personally, I'm not impressed.

Now, if you figured out how to install Super Boulder Dash or Lode Runner on
your hard disk, then I'll be interested (but still not very impressed).

Some of the more popular programs I've unprotected recently are:

   Ultima III, IV, and V
   all protected Sierra On-line adventure games & Thexder
   Gauntlet II
   Deathtrack
   APBA Baseball
   Earl Weaver Baseball
   Lode Runner (a while back; just here for reference)
   many, many, many others that I can't even remember

There are basically three kinds of "copy protection":

1)  SoftGuard, ProLok, and the like.  Basically, they require special infor-
    mation on the disk.  I can't copy them with DISKCOPY or install them on
    my hard disk.  These are cake to unprotect.

2)  "Code wheels" and the various implementations thereof.  Most of these are
    pretty easy to unprotect.  The only one that I've worked on that I
    *haven't* done is Starflight (I & II).  This is in some pseudo-compiled
    Forth language that's a pain in the ass to trace.  But I'm working on it ..
    These are less of a problem than the others, though.  But if I lose the
    wheel, I'm in deep doodoo.

3)  Anything that requires me to boot it.  This kind *really* pisses me off.
    Not only can't I install it on my hard disk, but I can't run it from DOS,
    either.  I have a bit lower hit rate on these.  (It's hard to get any
    *higher* than 100%, now isn't it?)

Basically, if it's protected, I unprotect it.  Simple.

Of course, for *obvious* reasons, I can't send any of these to you.  Just
thought you might be interested.

--
- Charles Martin Hannum II       "Klein bottle for sale ... inquire within."
    (That's Charles to you!)     "To life immortal!"
  cmh117@psuvm.{bitnet,psu.edu}  "No noozzzz izzz netzzzsnoozzzzz..."
  c9h@psuecl.{bitnet,psu.edu}    "Mem'ry, all alone in the moonlight ..."
  c9h@eclx.psu.edu
  c9h@hcx.psu.edu