What is RC5? RC5 is a contest sponsored by RSA Security Labs that is run by Distributed.net to see who can crack the RC5-64 bit encryption key.
Why should I join? RSA Labs is offering a $10,000US prize to the group that wins this contest. The distribution of the cash will be as follows:
· $1000 to the winner
· $1000 to the winner's team - this goes to the winner if he isn't affiliated with a team
· $6000 to a non-profit organization, decided by vote
· $2000 to distributed.net for building the network and supplying the code
What machines can run RC5? Any machine, on virtually any platform!!! Here is a partial list of currently supported platforms (with a link to download the client):
· AmigaOS
· BeOS
· FreeBSD
· PC-DOS/MS-DOS
· Linux
· MacOS
· Novell NetWare
· IBM OS/2
· SCO Unix
· Solaris/SunOS
· Windows 95/98/NT
· Windows 3.x
Any and every machine that can run these OS's can run RC5. Every block that is crunched helps, so even the lowliest of 486es is appreciated! Users can use multiple machines to their credit. It is also interesting to note that a Duron will perform exactly the same as the T-Bird at the same clock speed and the Celeron II will perform exactly the same as a PIII at the same clock speed.
The Duron/T-Bird is the ideal CPU for this challenge as it is much more efficient than the Intel CPU's…in fact, a Duron will be faster than a PIII of the same clock speed. The FSB speed plays no part in your crunching ability…this is a purely CPU intensive program. The client supports SMP so those of you out there with dual CPU set-ups can fully utilize both of your CPUs and crunch away!
Installation instructions:
1) Go to http://www.distributed.net/download/clients.html and download the appropriate client program for your CPU and Operating System.
For Windows and most other OS's, a command line interface (CLI) client is what's available. The Windows version is self-installing, and comes with help files and a log visualiser (For those who love stats).
2) Install the client software. Under "Configuration/general settings", there is a location in which you must enter your email address. It must be a real, working email, because it is where D.net will email your password a little later on, and the password is required to join Team OcPrices.com. If you anticipate changes in your email address will be a common occurrence, a Hotmail or other free email service may be preferable, and you should set up an account with one of these providers before installing the D.net client.
3) Under "Configuration/Buffer and Buffer update options", change the "Load work precedence" to "RC5,DES,CSC,OGR". This will ensure that the client works on the RC5 challenge.
4) To give yourself a work unit cache so you don't have to stay connected to the internet, go to "Configuration/Buffer and Buffer update options" and then change "Fetch Time Threshold (in hours)" to a value (in hours). This will download x hours worth of work.
5) If you have a dial-up connection, the client can be configured to detect when you are on the internet and update it's buffers automatically. To do this, select "configuration/Buffer and Buffer update options" and then "Keyserver <-> Client Connectivity options". Now change "Dialup-Link detection" to "Dial up detection ONLY". This will set the client not to auto-dial when the buffers are empty. Instead, it will work on random data until the buffers are up-dated.
6) Run the client to complete at least one "work packet". Then, if the client window is not visible, left double-click on the cow's head icon in your taskbar, and perform your first "update" (under the Network dropdown). You can minimize the client at this point, if you wish, and allow it to continue cracking keys until you join Team OcPrices.com (all keys will be credited correctly later on).
==You must wait at least 24 hours before proceeding to the next step==
7) You now need to get your password. To retrieve it, please go to http://stats.distributed.net/rc5-64/.
In the "Participant Stats" search box, enter the first portion of your email address, and click search. It should return, possibly among others, your specific email address as you entered it in the client software during installation. Click on your email hyperlink on the page. On this new page (your personal stats page, for future reference - you may want to bookmark it), there is a hyperlink at the bottom labelled "I cannot remember my password. Please email (my) password". Click this link and the D.net server should email you your password almost immediately. Note the password and retain the email for your archives.
8) Click on this hyperlink: http://stats.distributed.net/rc5-64/tmsummary.php3?team=865184839.
This will take you to the Team OcPrices.com stats page at D.net (sometimes the page is down temporarily during stats updates, please wait an hour or two and try again). Near the bottom of this page is a hyperlink labelled "I want to join this team", click it. Your browser will request a user name (your full email address), and a password (from the D.net email). Click OK.
9) It should then take you to your personal stats page, and near the top of this page it should read:
Team: 865184839: OcPrices.com
10) That's it! All packets previously cracked will be credited to Team OcPrices.com at the next stats update, and all future packets will be directly counted as team submissions.
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Welcome aboard - we appreciate your contribution!
Please note that while you can switch teams at any time, only the team you first join will receive packets cracked when you were "team-less". Also, if you switch from "Team A" to "Team B", packets you cracked while on "Team A" will stay with that team, and you will be starting fresh with "Team B".
Note: If you have multiple systems, run it on them too, no matter how slow they are, enter the same exact email address for all of them...they will add up and make you seem better!
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