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| 0 users currently in ROM Hacking. |
| Acmlm's Board - I3 Archive - ROM Hacking - Who's up for some distributed cracking? |
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| Pages: 1 2 | Add to favorites | Next newer thread | Next older thread |
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HyperHacker Star Mario Finally being paid to code in VB! If only I still enjoyed that. <_< Wii #7182 6487 4198 1828                    Since: 11-18-05 From: Canada, w00t! My computer's specs, if anyone gives a damn. STOP TRUNCATING THIS >8^( Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
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| So I've been buggering around with this N64 game, right? The game contains over 2000 compressed files, and I want to figure out which of these files is loaded in each level. Since I can't seem to find an emulator with a debugger capable of breaking on execution of a piece of code (even better if it can just log all the registers to a file and not stop), I decided to go with another method: brute-force it.
The idea is that I find and decompress every compressed file in the ROM into its own file. I then make a save state in each level of the game. Finally, I write a program which will search each save state (specifically, the area that corresponds to N64 RAM) for copies of each decompressed file. Now I've already done all this. I have a series of save states and decompressed files and the program will load up each save state and look for copies of each decompressed file within it. The problem is that based on some rough calculations my computer alone would take up to 4 1/2 days to complete this process. That's where you come in. Post or PM your email (I suggest using some sort of spam bot filter) if you're interested. Once enough people have gathered, I'll send you the program and some of the files. (Source code available on request as well for you paranoid types.) By my (again rough - I timed it with a stopwatch  ) calculations, if the process were split across 20 people, assuming their computers are all about the same speed as mine (1.7ghz Sempron, 7200RPM HD), it would take each person no more than 45 minutes to complete their portion of the scanning. The program will dump its results to a log file, just send it back to me or post it.
So... start volunteering dammit! |
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QBRADQ Goomba Since: 01-18-06 From: Eastern Oklahoma Last post: 6630 days Last view: 6630 days |
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| Sounds fun. qbradq .at. gmail .dot. com
I could process quite a few chunks. My system doesn't do anything for 16 hours a day (no net access at the house yet  ).
QBRADQ |
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Omega45889 Shyguy Since: 11-18-05 Last post: 6313 days Last view: 6327 days |
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| Sure, what the hell, im in.
Desktop: P4 3.0C Ghz, 1024 megs ram, 7200 rpm drive... ect Laptop: Centrino 1.6 ghz, 512 megs ram, no idea about HD speed. Send me a bunch of shit you want bruteforced and ill run it overnight or somethin. Omega45889@gmail.com |
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HyperHacker Star Mario Finally being paid to code in VB! If only I still enjoyed that. <_< Wii #7182 6487 4198 1828 Since: 11-18-05 From: Canada, w00t! My computer's specs, if anyone gives a damn. STOP TRUNCATING THIS >8^( Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
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| Alright, thanks. The files are around 20MB RARed (91MB raw) though, so make sure you have some way to get it onto that computer.
I'll start sending the files out Monday afternoon. |
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Guy Perfect Since: 11-18-05 Last post: 6281 days Last view: 6280 days |
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| By my calculations, it will take 4.5 days (minus 45 minutes) to gather your 20 people together.
Make sure you release a decompression utility, HyperHacker, instead of distributing the actual decompressed ROM data. Even though it's not verbatim what was in the ROM, it's still illegal distribution of copyrighted material. You might want to keep a mind for saving old computers in the future. I've got three machines under my desk here spanning times reaching back seven years, so I could run processes on the other two simultaneously and leave them on all day. You may want to either scrounge up an old computer or invest in a specialized RTC ('Round The Clock) box that you can use for such things. I used one for downloading some 11GB of misc F-Zero videos from MFO once. Took it 3 days, 24/7. I didn't have to worry about it, though, because my main computer was not running the program, so I had all the time to myself with it. EDIT: Wait, Monday afternoon? Since it's somewhere around noonish right now (14:11 my time), then, uh... You'll start distributing files 3 days from now. If it takes your computer 4.5 days to complete the task, then you'd have been almost done. And I'm pretty sure it will take more than 1.5 days to get all your results back. (edited by BGNG on 02-03-06 03:12 PM) |
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Omega45889 Shyguy Since: 11-18-05 Last post: 6313 days Last view: 6327 days |
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| Might as well just send em out as you get people on board. I doubt your gonna need like 20 people anyways... i wouldnt mind letting it just run for a few hours, and my comp is probably like twice as fast as yours, so that would take care of a nice chunk of it already. Just a thought. | |||
Sonicandfails   910  Since: 11-17-05 From: Mass Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6279 days |
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| So all I have to do is run this program with this rom thingy and let it do its thing? I can do that, but I would rather do it on my moms pc which is Pentium 4 Dual Core 3.2Ghz, 2 Gig DDR RAM, 7200HDD...
But the one I am on is AMD 64 Athlon 3500+, 1 Gig RAM, 7200HDD.... So if you want me to do it here on this one tonight, send away. Or you can wait till Monday and I can do it on my super computer. |
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Guy Perfect Since: 11-18-05 Last post: 6281 days Last view: 6280 days |
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| If you have access to two computers, then why not use two computers? Surely running on yours and your mom's is better than just running on yours. | |||
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HyperHacker Star Mario Finally being paid to code in VB! If only I still enjoyed that. <_< Wii #7182 6487 4198 1828 Since: 11-18-05 From: Canada, w00t! My computer's specs, if anyone gives a damn. STOP TRUNCATING THIS >8^( Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
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Sounds to me like he doesn't have access to both at once.
Originally posted by BGNG Good point. The program has an option to find and extract all compressed files from a ROM, so that shouldn't be a big issue. Though it would be a lot easier to just give out the compressed files. They're hardly useful as-is and I somehow doubt Nintendo would care.
I do, I just don't get much opportunity to. I had 3; two just got completely wrecked (motherboard problems) and then my brother just had to have one of his own...  Only other thing I can feasibly try such a thing on is my DS, but that'd take forever.
I might, yes. In fact I may just head down to the basement after dinner and see if I have any old motherboards kicking around. I'm pretty sure I don't, but now you made me want to go check. 
If I just have my computer do it all, though, then that means I can't use it for the next 4.5 days while it runs the program. If I can gather together people to chip in, it may still take the same amount of time to get the results, but each individual computer will only be busy for much less time. (Before you ask, running the program in the background won't do, as it really eats up CPU power and I'm already running Azeureus, lololol, Winamp, and whatever else I happen to be using. Just those 3 are eating up 15% of my CPU power already. )
Also it's not absolutely required that there be 20 people involved. I chose 20 simply because there are 20 save states to search. Makes the math easier. It'd work with 17 or 10 or 3 or what have you, it'd just be slower.(edited by Hyper LOL on 02-03-06 08:41 PM) |
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dcahrakos 490 Since: 11-17-05 Last post: 6496 days Last view: 6496 days |
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| send some this way chaosflare@gmail.com
got a 2.8ghz celery with 768MB of ram, so I dunno how long it will take, but send whatever over, and ill let it run while im doing this genealogy stuff with my mom. (edited by dcahrakos on 02-03-06 08:44 PM) |
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HyperHacker Star Mario Finally being paid to code in VB! If only I still enjoyed that. <_< Wii #7182 6487 4198 1828 Since: 11-18-05 From: Canada, w00t! My computer's specs, if anyone gives a damn. STOP TRUNCATING THIS >8^( Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
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Alright, I sent the program, check your mail.  |
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Sonicandfails 910 Since: 11-17-05 From: Mass Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6279 days |
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On my Super Computer 
LET ME AT EM LET ME AT EM!!! sonicandtails111@SPAMyahoo.com Of course. remove SPAM... If this goes by quick and easy, I'll let you know and I can do more... |
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FreeDOS + Giant Red Koopa Legion: freedos = fritos  Since: 11-17-05 From: Seattle Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6279 days |
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| So.. er, which game are you trying to hack here, if you don't mind me asking? |
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HyperHacker Star Mario Finally being paid to code in VB! If only I still enjoyed that. <_< Wii #7182 6487 4198 1828 Since: 11-18-05 From: Canada, w00t! My computer's specs, if anyone gives a damn. STOP TRUNCATING THIS >8^( Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
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I was actually hoping to make it a surprise.  |
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Sonicandfails 910 Since: 11-17-05 From: Mass Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6279 days |
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| Eck... Its still going ....
I got a feeling it will be done by 10 though... |
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blackhole89 Moronic Thread Bodycount: 17 (since 2006-08-21 09:50 EST) F5 F5 F5 F5 F5 Since: 12-31-69 From: Dresden/SN/DE Last post: 6281 days Last view: 6279 days |
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| I apply.
blackhole89 -at- gmail.com |
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Tauwasser Red Goomba  Since: 11-19-05 Last post: 6371 days Last view: 6292 days |
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| I'll chip in too, I guess tauwasser ät gmail dotttt com
cYa, Tauwasser |
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dcahrakos 490 Since: 11-17-05 Last post: 6496 days Last view: 6496 days |
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| its been running all night and its still not done lol...oh well, it should be soon I hope... | |||
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Sonicandfails 910 Since: 11-17-05 From: Mass Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6279 days |
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| Yea its taking longer then he thought it seems...Im still going!!! Its been going for over 12 hours, but it is DEFINITLY almost done...Its in the 7's now...
EDIT: Mines done  (edited by Sonicandtails on 02-07-06 04:17 PM) |
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HyperHacker Star Mario Finally being paid to code in VB! If only I still enjoyed that. <_< Wii #7182 6487 4198 1828 Since: 11-18-05 From: Canada, w00t! My computer's specs, if anyone gives a damn. STOP TRUNCATING THIS >8^( Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
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| Blackhole, Tauwasser, you're a bit late. I already sent the files. |
| Pages: 1 2 | Add to favorites | Next newer thread | Next older thread |
| Acmlm's Board - I3 Archive - ROM Hacking - Who's up for some distributed cracking? |
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