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Nope. The new mingw-get installer out there tracks GCC 4.5. I don't know whether there's a difference in the compilers shipped with VS Pro, but I found that MinGW generated considerably faster code than VS Express.
Jon
Forensic Tools - which OS?
Go to page 1, 2 NextForensic Tools - which OS?
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:12 pm
I have a problem
I can write tools in .NET which is basically a Windows framework (TimeLord is the one that is published but I have others). There is Mono for Linux but it is always playing catch-up. I can write programs in C or C++ which is best implemented in *nix (Linux for most forensic analysts). Cross platform tools are rare, difficult to implement and (especially if it means command line) not used in Windows.
My question is this - If I develop a forensic tool, in what framework would you prefer it? Windows, *nix and then do you want GUI or cmdline? (GUI =easy*resticted, cmdline=difficult*flexible)
If the majority is for Windows and GUI then I'll start charging for any future applications (because I can), if however, the majority is for *nix and cmdline then I'll develop open source because I want to help catch the bad guys and do my bit for the global good.
I could do a poll but this doesn't gather the kind of thought process that I want from you all.
Oh, by the way, I can write Mac apps but the Mac API is pathetic in a forensic context so I have ignored this (unless of course you know better!).
Paul
Last edited by binarybod on Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
I can write tools in .NET which is basically a Windows framework (TimeLord is the one that is published but I have others). There is Mono for Linux but it is always playing catch-up. I can write programs in C or C++ which is best implemented in *nix (Linux for most forensic analysts). Cross platform tools are rare, difficult to implement and (especially if it means command line) not used in Windows.
My question is this - If I develop a forensic tool, in what framework would you prefer it? Windows, *nix and then do you want GUI or cmdline? (GUI =easy*resticted, cmdline=difficult*flexible)
If the majority is for Windows and GUI then I'll start charging for any future applications (because I can), if however, the majority is for *nix and cmdline then I'll develop open source because I want to help catch the bad guys and do my bit for the global good.
I could do a poll but this doesn't gather the kind of thought process that I want from you all.
Oh, by the way, I can write Mac apps but the Mac API is pathetic in a forensic context so I have ignored this (unless of course you know better!).
Paul
Last edited by binarybod on Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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binarybod - Senior Member
Re: Forensic Tools - which OS?
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:21 pm
Actually AFAIK a number of people (at least you can count me
) consider:
And for the GUI enthusiast, there is always the solution of pseudo-GUIs or nice looking wrap-arounds the "real" things (the command line apps).
The command line apps have the distinctive advantage that they are usually easily scriptable, through batch, vbs or python, thus they are IMHO much more useful to a "technically oriented" community.
jaclaz

- .NET and ALL similar frameworks a huge bloat
- "pure" C, C+ or C# (the one I call "C dumb") command line tools under windows VERY usable
And for the GUI enthusiast, there is always the solution of pseudo-GUIs or nice looking wrap-arounds the "real" things (the command line apps).
The command line apps have the distinctive advantage that they are usually easily scriptable, through batch, vbs or python, thus they are IMHO much more useful to a "technically oriented" community.
jaclaz
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jaclaz - Senior Member
Re: Forensic Tools - which OS?
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 6:28 pm
@jaclaz
Don't you find that cygwin is a bit outdated now that VM's are so easy? I have a custom made Linux forensics machine with shares to all my Windows (host) machine drives and I can therefore use native Linux tools on all my Windows generated files.
MinGW is dead, surely?
Paul
Don't you find that cygwin is a bit outdated now that VM's are so easy? I have a custom made Linux forensics machine with shares to all my Windows (host) machine drives and I can therefore use native Linux tools on all my Windows generated files.
MinGW is dead, surely?
Paul
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binarybod - Senior Member
Re: Forensic Tools - which OS?
Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:45 pm
My vote is for the free option every time
Is it that .NET GUI based app's are a larger investment in time for yourself, and hence require the need to charge ?
I agree with Jaclaz.
Personally I like cmdline tools that do one job. When scripted they can fit nicely into a workflow. GUI apps that perform the same function are indeed bloaty and dont have the same flexibility. When you are talking about an app that performs several jobs and functions then a GUI based app is the only way to go, no one wants to be at the cmd line using 20 switches and 6 arguments.
Btw thanks for Timelord I am using that more and more, a great contribution to the community

Is it that .NET GUI based app's are a larger investment in time for yourself, and hence require the need to charge ?
I agree with Jaclaz.
Personally I like cmdline tools that do one job. When scripted they can fit nicely into a workflow. GUI apps that perform the same function are indeed bloaty and dont have the same flexibility. When you are talking about an app that performs several jobs and functions then a GUI based app is the only way to go, no one wants to be at the cmd line using 20 switches and 6 arguments.
Btw thanks for Timelord I am using that more and more, a great contribution to the community
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96hz - Senior Member
Re: Forensic Tools - which OS?
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 3:43 pm
You can always develop under QT so that you can have your application on Linux, Windows, or Mac.
Cheers!
farmerdude
www.onlineforensictraining.com
www.forensicbootcd.com
Cheers!
farmerdude
www.onlineforensictraining.com
www.forensicbootcd.com
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farmerdude - Senior Member
Re: Forensic Tools - which OS?
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 3:53 pm
Use MFC only (statically linked) and if needed just implement both: application started without parameters = gui-version, with parameters cmdline-version. If you need to run it under Linux use Wine...
Cheers
Cheers

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a_kuiper - Senior Member
Re: Forensic Tools - which OS?
Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2010 5:23 pm
- binarybod@jaclaz
MinGW is dead, surely?
Nope. The new mingw-get installer out there tracks GCC 4.5. I don't know whether there's a difference in the compilers shipped with VS Pro, but I found that MinGW generated considerably faster code than VS Express.
Jon
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jonstewart - Member