How to Use MD5
When using a *NIX platform, checking MD5 sums happens much more frequently and is actually even easier than with Windows. This makes MD5 a great way to not only verify the integrity of data but also do many other things, like securing passwords.
Linux
With any Linux distribution checking an MD5 checksum is easy and quick. No installations or add-ons should be necessary. This guide goes over the method for Ubuntu.
Generate a MD5 checksum:
1) Enter the console
2) Type: "
md5sum xxxxxx.iso > xxxxxx.zip.md5"
(note: any file extension can be used)
Verify a MD5 checksum:
1) Enter the console
2) Type: "md5sum -c xxxxxx.iso.md5"
(this is supposing the MD5 and the file being verified are in the same directory)
That is really all there is to it! In just a few minutes you can be an MD5 expert and will have taken control of this powerful tool. MD5 checksums are very useful for the verification of data and for passwords, but it should be noted that tools are available that can decompile MD5 sums so that they are not always a perfectly secure way to store a password. Even so, they are a very useful tool for data redundancy, protection, and recovery.