Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

Since I guess you missed it:

Since everyone triesto get the game right when it is released, FIRST releases it ahead of time encrypted so they can get the game out to everyone at the same time without complications of a crashed server and unhappy teams that can't look up the rules to the game.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

It is likely a moot point given the security of the key, but I don't neccesarily agree with the concept that it is "not GP to try to break the key".... at least not in Canada... not yet.

First of all, it is clear that the GDC gives hints, however cryptic, to encourage speculation over the nature of the game. In the past, those hints have even included reference to the encryption code. If attempts to discover the nature of the game, or the encryption code, were frowned upon by the Game Design Committee, I can't see why they would choose to encourage them with relevant hints. (Well, aside from the fact that it provides them with a brief interlude of humour before the onslaught of Q&A forums questions start pouring in.)

Secondly the encrypted manuals are released openly. Cracking the manuals does not require intrusive or damaging hacking.

Thirdly, if someone were to figure out how to crack a high security code of this nature in two days, that single achievement would outweigh every other technical innovation and development ever made as a result of FRC... combined. The commercial, political and mathematical impact would be pheonomonal.

However, I do have to add that it may be illegal (and thus non-GP behaviour) in the USA to attempt to crack the code due to the provisions of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act. I'm not familiar with all the provisions of the act, but do know that there are restrictions on the attempt (even a futile attempt?) to crack a code protecting a copyrighted work or distributing software to that end.

However DMCA does not apply in Canada (although our govenment is proposing something similar, but in some ways worse) or other parts of the world... so given that it is still legal to try to break a code in Canada, and the GDC actively encourages teams to try to figure out the nature of the game in advance of kick off -- specifically integrating the password in to the hints -- I'm not sure why it would inherently be non-GP behaviour for an individual or team not covered by DMCA to attempt to break the code.

It would spoil the fun of kickoff for those who knew the game in advance, but they would be too busy publishing in Nature, and/or explaining exactly what they did and how to their national security agencies to really worry about that. The FRC kickoff would receive more mass media attention than it ever has... likely FIRST and all FRC teams would benefit greatly from this kind of media attention.

Most likely those attempting to crack the code will learn a little about encryption and a lot about futility. But I don't automatically assume that their actions would be either ungracious or unprofessional.

Jason

P.S. Ironically, perhaps, I would view an attempt to open a KOP case before kickoff in order to get a head start as non-GP behaviour... but no one encourages that, and it would require damaging part of the KOP.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

Regarding Dave's post: What if the encryption key is the same as a past year's key? Anyone remember the 2004 code?

----
Even if a team was able to crack the encryption code, it would be thoroughly unfulfiling. It'd be like the preacher who played hooky from church one week to play a round of golf, and scored three consecutive aces. Sure, it's a great achievement, but who could he tell?

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

I have discovered a truly marvellous method to crack this, which this margin is too narrow to contain. :D With apologies to Pierre.



If I actually was able to crack the code (not likely), I'd probably do it -- but I'd be too polite to actually look. And if I opened up the KOP I wouldn't know what was in there. Motors are motors, that's about it. Except maybe the game piece. Well, if it was obviously a game piece. Some years they don't supply a game piece. (And how about Stack Attack? Who would have thought the box was the game piece??) The only thing in there I know is in there -- that's the software CDs. Then again, they may be preshipped with the controllers.

Here is the 2006 "PDF Manual Code": S1x240JrTBmsqf95DL06FdsTM33H

2008's was Drive!Straight?turn!LEFT!? Which was obviously :rolleyes: easy if you mixed up the letters in the third hint Vet hurdling FIRST tetra.

Have at it.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

Only problem is you didn't have the exclamation marks (!) and questions marks (?) in between. Even if you did find the words, you'd still be stuck for a month guessing the order of the words and what is missing.

And I think that what Dave's saying is that a hint's coming up next week or at the start of November.

Anyone checked his MySpace/Facebook. :P

Oh, and try to search through bill's blog.

Oh, great, now I'm stuck in it too.....THANK YOU DAVE....

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

Maybe before I would have said trying to crack the code is against the rules, but Dave is asking for it now. Of course, the answer to his questions is almost certainly "no", but given the success of last year's hint I suspect the GDC will try something like that again...

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

I haven't tried this to make sure, but I think this fits in your margin.

http://pdfcrack.sourceforge.net/

Do I win?

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

Nope, I don't think so. It tries to crack the password using word lists and bruteforcing. Brute forcing a key that long would take about 10^20 years using a network of ~35,000-40,000 2GHz Athlon XP machines. Wordlists would likely not lower the time required enough even if words are used like last year, the key is too long and there are still a number of other characters in the key.

You're welcome to try this tool when the encrypted sections come out (if they come out), but I don't think you'll get very far.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

Good statistic! You could shrink that number significantly if you equipped those computers with Nvidia graphics cards and off boarded the computation to them. But still, there is no way we are going to get past the encryption. 10^18 or 10^17 years are still a lot and definitely not worth it.

I don't remember how the PDF's are encrypted (Probably the highest level), but the lowest level of encryption can be broken in a day or two.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

That is a very rough calculation based on Distributed.net's brute force crack of RC-64

I am fairly certain that they used AES encryption last year which is a minimum 128bit key. From what I can see all of the "PDFCrack" tools claim to be able to brute force 40 bit keys (not AES) in 2-4 days.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

I don't know -- did you crack the 2009 password yet? :) And read the link about the margin -- it is one of the ultimate teases. Probably got the idea from Dave?

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

That link was a fun read. Definitely up Dave's alley.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

if this is a clue and it has been released already could it be some combination of teams who have been beta testing the new control system?

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

Rule 1. Never take Dave's hint's seriously.
Rule 2. Watergame.

Re: FRC 2009 Game Manual?
 

<sarcasm>Water game with a new control system I am so sure... that must be the big change for this year to come.</sarcasm>