MD5(1) MD5(1)
Feb 14, 1994
NAME
md5 - calculate a message-digest fingerprint (checksum) for a file
SYNOPSIS
md5 [ -t | -x | -sstring | filename(s) ]
DESCRIPTION
md5 takes as input a message of arbitrary length and produces as
output a 128-bit "fingerprint" or "message digest" of the input. It
is conjectured that it is computationally infeasible to produce two
messages having the same message digest, or to produce any message
having a given prespecified target message digest. The MD5 algorithm
is intended for digital signature applications, where a large file
must be "compressed" in a secure manner before being encrypted with a
private (secret) key under a public-key cryptosystem such as RSA.
OPTIONS
The following four options may be used in any combination, except that
filename(s) must be the last objects on the command line.
-sstring prints a checksum of the given "string".
-t runs a built-in time trial.
-x runs a built-in test script.
filename(s) prints a checksum(s) for each of the files.
SEE ALSO
sum(1)
RFC 1321 describes in detail the MD2, MD4, and MD5 message-digest
algorithms.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This program is placed in the public domain for free general use by
RSA Data Security.
- 1 - Formatted: November 7, 2025
