Prove That Your EXE Isnt a Virus

[macai]

Is there a way to prove that, say, my EXE is not a virus? Because
alot of people have been iffy about rnuning my apps lately...

[Michael_Kamen]

Yeah, post the sourcecode

[Justy]

avoid calling your programs IAMAVIRUS.exe

[macai]

Originally posted by Michael_Kamen
Yeah, post the sourcecode

Most of my programs are open source...but the thing is, people
still hesitate to run the EXE that i compiled! There has to be a
way to show them that its not a virus, right?

[seh]

Private Sub Form_Load()
Dim response As String
 
response = MsgBox("Do you wish to scan this dodgy looking application with your virus scanner before running?", vbYesNo + vbExclamation)
If response = vbYes Then
End
End If
   
End Sub

[si_the_geek]

Originally posted by macai
Most of my programs are open source...but the thing is, people
still hesitate to run the EXE that i compiled! There has to be a
way to show them that its not a virus, right?

How would you be able to prove that?? Most people have virus scanner programs, but just because the virus scanner doesn't recognise a virus it deosn't mean that there isn't one there - it just doesn't know about that particular virus.

A program that simply deletes all files on the C drive isn't a virus as far as most virus scanners ae concerned

Think about what YOU would need to hear to be persuaded that the program a stranger has just given you doesn't have any bad effects (intentional or not). I don't trust anything that people on this forum (or any others) write, I always compile the source code myself, even though I have 3 industrial strength virus scanners between me and the web.

[kleinma]

there is no way to show your app is not a virus other than to let the people scan it themselves... how do you know anyfile is not a virus??? you have to trust Norton or Mcafee or whoever you use.. your users would have to do the same

[macai]

Yeah, but i want some pursuadable text to show them
that "proves" its not a virus.

[kleinma]

Originally posted by macai
Yeah, but i want some pursuadable text to show them
that "proves" its not a virus.

your home address and your burglar alarm code

[si_the_geek]

Originally posted by macai
Yeah, but i want some pursuadable text to show them
that "proves" its not a virus.

Not possible! Like i said, think about what YOU would need to be persuaded by a random stranger!

[DeadEyes]

Yeah, but i want some pursuadable text to show them

The only way I could see that being possible is if you got a
independent third party to check your app then they could
encrypt, sign and ditribute it.
the user can they decrypt and verify.

[kleinma]

yeah, what's to say explorer.exe isn't a virus??? nothing other than the fact that you trust microsoft because of their reputation... if you have an established website that offers applications to DL people will be more inclined to DL your apps than if they are just posted for DL somewhere

[macai]

Originally posted by DeadEyes
The only way I could see that being possible is if you got a
independent third party to check your app then they could
encrypt, sign and ditribute it.
the user can they decrypt and verify.

You mean that popup window saying "Do you trust stuff from
company 'blah'"?

[Michael_Kamen]

Originally posted by kleinma
yeah, what's to say explorer.exe isn't a virus???

Sometimes it acts just like a virus

[DeadEyes]

Originally posted by macai
You mean that popup window saying "Do you trust stuff from

I think that's more a digital certificate
I was thinking along the lines that when you encrypt a file
you can garentee it's contents have not been tampered with.
The crux of the point is that the distributing third party must be
trusted but that brings us back to square one, who can you trust?

[swatty]

Originally posted by macai
Yeah, but i want some pursuadable text to show them
that "proves" its not a virus.

Ship a read me file with it.
In there you tell the user it can sue you if it is not the app you told them it was.
Give your adress and other details with it.
Some details (your working hours, do you have a dog at home, is your wife/husband alone when you are working, ...)

[macai]

Originally posted by swatty
Ship a read me file with it.
In there you tell the user it can sue you if it is not the app you told them it was.
Give your adress and other details with it.
Some details (your working hours, do you have a dog at home, is your wife/husband alone when you are working, ...)

All i have to do is just slip something in there that basically
says "by using my program, you agree to the blah blah
terms...these terms may change at any time and RF has no
obligation to inform you of this change...thank you." Then if they
sue me, i just change the terms and say the terms changed
yesterday.

[kleinma]

Originally posted by swatty
Ship a read me file with it.
In there you tell the user it can sue you if it is not the app you told them it was.
Give your adress and other details with it.
Some details (your working hours, do you have a dog at home, is your wife/husband alone when you are working, ...)

swatty you stole my joke

[wpearsall]

Originally posted by DeadEyes
The only way I could see that being possible is if you got a
independent third party to check your app then they could
encrypt, sign and ditribute it.
the user can they decrypt and verify.

How bout checking if SourceForge.net will host your stuff?
If its all "GPL" ETC, Then they will most likely host if for ya,

They give you php/mysql hosting, build a decent website in no time at all (plenty of scripts out there )

==

Readme.txt:

EMail: (Something "Personal Looking" *FirstLetter_Of_FirstName*-*LastName*@my.com / @ My.host

Address:

XX Street Name
My Scruffy Town
Birmingham
UK
W.Mids
Postal Code


Tel No: (Put some modile No, [ then u can get a new chip or that if u get weird callers -- DONT USE YOUR HOME #])

Should make it "Easier To Trust"

[TheBionicOrange]

Kleinma, what does "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US" mean in your sig

[kleinma]

Originally posted by TheBionicOrange
Kleinma, what does "ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US" mean in your sig

click the link... make sure u got sound though

[JordanChris]

I don't click on links just because you told me to..... how do I know its not a virus?? :-)

[kleinma]

ummm... because i said so...

[TheBionicOrange]

[TheBionicOrange]

I don't mean to be picky , but shouldn't it be :

"ALL YOUR BASES BELONG TO US" ?

p.s. The animation itself was riddled with bad grammar so I wouldn't worry too much about it

[WickEd101]

How can you guys NOT known about "All Your Base"? It's only the greatest worst Japanese to English translation ever! Have a look around the net man! You'll be sure to find plenty and plenty of sites that cover the history of it.

Secondly, to macai, people won't always trust you, no matter what you say. Just like they won't trust you when you're a total stranger half way across the planet and is asking for fifteen bucks an hour to create a webpage or program. Respect is what it's all about. You need to earn it.

[Megatron]

Scan it with a virus scanner

[kleinma]

Originally posted by TheBionicOrange
I don't mean to be picky , but shouldn't it be :

"ALL YOUR BASES BELONG TO US" ?

p.s. The animation itself was riddled with bad grammar so I wouldn't worry too much about it

it is supposed to be as it is

[kleinma]

Originally posted by Megatron
Scan it with a virus scanner

that was my first suggestion

seems to be the only logical one

[swatty]

Originally posted by kleinma
swatty you stole my joke

partially, if there is a file shipped with it, where stated if it is a virus then here is my adress and phone number (normally you are known to them when the bought it from you) you can go to court with it.
Claim as much as you can from him so he doesn't write any more of those programs which doesn't work as you wish

[Michael_Kamen]

Originally posted by kleinma
that was my first suggestion

seems to be the only logical one

ANd what about my suggestion:

Originally posted by Michael_Kamen
Yeah, post the sourcecode

I think posting the source will earn people's trust.

[kleinma]

Originally posted by Michael_Kamen
ANd what about my suggestion:


I think posting the source will earn people's trust.

true.. but lets say you post the source code along with the exe... but in the exe you really stuck extra virus code in... then people might review the source.. be like "oh this is ok" and then run the exe..

[Michael_Kamen]

True

[TheBionicOrange]

Oh OK ... it does makes all perfect sense now

[Inquirer]

You can put this in the readme.txt

====== myprogram version x.xx ============

For your convenience, the virus is attached separately from the program.

[techgnome]

Originally posted by Michael_Kamen
Sometimes it acts just like a virus

It certanly infected the world serveral times over..... mutates too....

[kleinma]

Originally posted by techgnome
It certanly infected the world serveral times over..... mutates too....

the latest strand is called "XP"

[Michael_Kamen]

Yeah, and it didn't just make my virusscanner go crazy!

[Mc Brain]

Originally posted by kleinma
true.. but lets say you post the source code along with the exe... but in the exe you really stuck extra virus code in... then people might review the source.. be like "oh this is ok" and then run the exe..

The only way is to post the sourcecode... without the EXE. If they want to compile it (after checking that there's no harmful code in it) they can do it.... with absolute certain that the code is not a virus.

[Sastraxi]

Linux programs are, for the most part, open-sourced. You download them, and compile them yourself, so that only you can be blamed if you didn't look over the sourcecode or if you have a virus already that spawns from a GCC call. If they're open sourced, let the users compile them themselves!