Hint to all developer distributing TC tools and plugins

[soreno]

Another hint is:
Please don't distribute your plugins built as debug versions - please only distribute release builds (reduces size).

(the iso packer plugin is built with debug information..)

[Nigurrath]

Hi all,
here are both modified versions for 1.24 and for 1.90. I changed in the previous version for the release 1.90 of UPX the signature, so as to recognize the version 1.90 only! The signature is essentially the string "1.90 UPX" that is at position 987 (AFAICS it's a fixed position, just after the MZ header of PE file).

In version for UPX 1.24 there are some changes too. The problems with these two versions is that aren't able to decompress, using decompress interface..I think because of sharing problems of the same exe (multiarch and uxp are using together)..Any suggestion to this is welcome!!

Version 1.24

Code: Select all

; ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
; WC MultiArc config addon for UPX 124 compressed files (Ver 1.1)
; Unpacker:   upx v1.24 stable 
; Author:   adapted for MultiArc by Frumento Enrico 
; Website:   http://web.cefriel.it/~frumento 
; ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
; 
[UPX Compress 124] 
TypeName=UPX
ID=31 2E 32 34 00 55 50 58 
IDPos=987
Extension=EXE,DLL
Archiver=D:\wincmd\PK-plugin\upx.exe
Start="--------------------"
Format0="zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz -> pppppppppppppppppppppp nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn"
Extract="%P -d %FQ -o%AQAW"
;Extract="%P -d %AQAW"
List="%P -q -l --no-color %AQA"
Test="%P -t -q --no-color %FQ"
Add="%P --best -q --no-color --compress-icons=1 %FQ -o%AQ"
IgnoreErrors=0
Debug=0
UnixPath=0
SkipDirsInFileList=1
SkipEmptyNames=1
BatchUnpack=0
SearchForUglyDirs=0
AskMode=0
SkipLIST=0
; -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Version 1.90 addon version 1.1

Code: Select all

; -----------------------------------------------------------------------
; WC MultiArc config addon for UPX 190beta compressed files (Ver 1.1)
; Unpacker:	upx v1.9 
; Author:	adapted for MultiArc by Frumento Enrico
; Website:	http://web.cefriel.it/~frumento
; -----------------------------------------------------------------------
;
[UPX Compress 190beta]
TypeName=UPX
ID=31 2E 39 30 00 55 50 58 
IDPos=987
Extension=EXE,DLL
Archiver=D:\wincmd\PK-plugin\upx.exe
Start="--------------------"
End="^WARNING: this is an unstable beta version"
Format0="zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz -> pppppppppppppppppppppp nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn"
Extract="%P -d %FQ -o%AQAW"
;Extract="%P -d %AQAW"
List="%P -q -l --no-color %AQA"
Test="%P -t -q --no-color %FQ"
Add="%P -9 -q --compress-icons=1 --all-methods %FQ -o%AQ"
IgnoreErrors=0
Debug=0
UnixPath=0
SkipDirsInFileList=1
SkipEmptyNames=1
BatchUnpack=0
SearchForUglyDirs=0
AskMode=0
SkipLIST=0
; -----------------------------------------------------------------------

[Nigurrath]

Ok, guys, packed all the things togheter, see this other post!

http://www.ghisler.ch/board/viewtopic.php?p=1315#1315

[Hacker]

Aezay,
Hacker> Another benefit is the decreased download size.
If I release a file, i will compress it with rar 1st. The difference between a rar packed aspack/upx packed exe; and a rar packed unpacked exe is small.

RAR might be better off, but since people are still using ZIP I am using ZIP archives, which are smaller when the EXE is UPXed first (talking about my Addons).


If u mean the listview, I just do a custom draw. The others are just by changing the properties of the vcl controls.

I actually meant if there's something like that for the Listbox, because I only see Font, which changes the font for all lines.


Renard_Roux,
In fact A LOT OF sowtware nowadays is packed with packers but this is done mainly to protect programs against reversed engineering aka 'cracking'.

Doesn't work that well, though. My hat off to the makers of The Bat! who made cracking it really difficult.


don't tell me you have 28 k modem on analogue telephone line

No, I don't have inet at all at home, only at my father's office and at school. Still, many people have modems and apart from that, it's not always the last mile that matters (though most of the time).


To my knowledge TC is packed with Asprotect

It's packed with Aspack, don't know if it's protected with Asprotect.


i m not a Hacker

See also http://thehacker.host.sk/pastthoughts.html#hackers .


Maxwish,
Packing exe's only helps if you have a small one

Why?


Packing is not 100% reliable.

Well, nothing is. That's why we have to test and test and test...


TIA
Roman

[Aezay]

Hacker> I actually meant if there's something like that for the Listbox, because I only see Font, which changes the font for all lines.
1st, I said listview, what i meant was of course listbox. I use Delphi 5, here the listbox has a property called "Style" when set to "lbOwnerDrawFixed" the "OnDrawItem" event is called, for each item in the list, when repainting is needed. Now its time for some Canvas work, I assume u know that, or u can just skip that and do it using pure API, with functions like GetDC and DrawText/TextOut

Hacker> Well, nothing is. That's why we have to test and test and test...
...and release hundreds of bugfixes and patches

[Nigurrath]

In my case packing is only useful to make things to stuff on disks which i sometime still use to distribute sw to users with no net connections or other things (in the Hospitals and in some public bodies is quite often). I also use it to reduce folder's size on disk (yes HD are quite big now, but size does matter sometimes )

[Maxwish]

Packing exe's only helps if you have a small one (phun intended)

To clarify my earlier post:
I didn't mean a small exe (which will probably get a much smaller packing ratio than a large exe). I meant if you have a small hard disk then packing would probably help. Same goes when you have a floppy.

Nigurrath gets it

PS: Completely off-topic: Anybody know how to repair a fridge ? Mine broke down last week, so I tried to repair it but now everything is frozen solid. My fridge has gone binairy: either on or off. Must somehow be able to calibrate the thermostate, but I can't figure out what screws to turn. Emails welcome...

[Nigurrath]

Completely off-topic: Anybody know how to repair a fridge ?

just a litlle off topic

from TC to fridges

[ghisler(Author)]

Just one remark why TC is packed. There are two main reasons:
1. With the packed EXE, people can run the program from a single floppy disk. This is useful for admins to take TC with them from computer to computer
2. Aspack (any maybe upx too) packs even better than CAB, so the overall download size is actually smaller than with the unpacked EXE! I'm also doing this so the installer fits on a single floppy disk, because we ship floppies.

I think that only large plugins (a few 100k) benefit from being packed.

[Nigurrath]

I think that only large plugins (a few 100k) benefit from being packed.

I'm used to pack also other tools for TC such as those available in the Maxwish's site or in other similar sites.

BTW I placed also UPX distributions in the UPX4TC archive posted in this thread, so as to have an unique package with everything needed to make it run.

http://web.cefriel.it/~frumento/uploads/Programs/UPX4TC.zip

[Hacker]

Aezay,
Now its time for some Canvas work, I assume u know that, or u can just skip that and do it using pure API, with functions like GetDC and DrawText/TextOut

Thanks. And as I do not know that I think I'll have to learn something new again...

Roman

[Valentino]

Doesn't work that well, though. My hat off to the makers of The Bat! who made cracking it really difficult.

How do you know?

[Hacker]

IIRC it was in the .nfo of the crack.

Roman

[poiuytr]

...
- A nice GUI for UPX is upx graphical:http://www.paehl.de/home.htm

Thanx a lot! First correctly working upx gui i have ever seen!