Major Description
From Apache...
The Release Distribution Policy[1] changed regarding checksum files.
See under "Cryptographic Signatures and Checksums Requirements" [2].
MD5-file == a .md5 file
SHA-file == a .sha1, sha256 or .sha512 file
Old policy :
-- MUST provide a MD5-file
-- SHOULD provide a SHA-file [SHA-512 recommended]
New policy :
-- MUST provide a SHA- or MD5-file
-- SHOULD provide a SHA-file
-- SHOULD NOT provide a MD5-file
Providing MD5 checksum files is now discouraged for new releases,
but still allowed for past releases.
Why this change :
-- MD5 is broken for many purposes ; we should move away from it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MD5#Overview_of_security_issues
Impact for PMCs :
-- for new releases :
-- please do provide a SHA-file (one or more, if you like)
-- do NOT provide a MD5-file
-- for past releases :
-- you are not required to change anything
-- for artifacts accompanied by a SHA-file /and/ a MD5-file,
it would be nice if you removed the MD5-file
-- if, at the moment, you provide MD5-files,
please adjust your release tooling.
Please mail me (henkp@apache.org
) if you have any questions etc.
FYI :
Many projects are not (entirely, strictly) checksum file compliant.
For an overview/inventory (by project) see :
https://checker.apache.org/dist/unsummed.html
At the moment :
-- no checksum : 176 packages in 28 projects ; non-compliant
-- only MD5 : 495 packages in 44 projects ; update tooling
-- only SHA : 135 packages in 13 projects ; now comliant
In many cases, only a few (among many) checksum file are missing ;
you may want to fix that.
[1] http://www.apache.org/dev/release-distribution
[2] http://www.apache.org/dev/release-distribution#sigs-and-sums
Thanks, groeten,