I read on Saturday Ian Goldbergs post about starting out on the challenge using Damiens code.
It doesn't matter a great deal which code is used as such, but the main thing is to ensure that this is a coordinated effort. The aim of the challenge (which I requested and Hal kindly provided just before popping off for a week or so's holiday) was to see how fast a SSL challenge could be broken. Not how *soon*, note the distinction.
That means that if for instance we count the time that Ian has been clocking up since Saturday, the real time will be slowed by approx 2 days. We really need to do this with a starting-line like affair, so that someone is running a server, and everyone gets the code compiled etc, and then the server starts offering the challenge and all the clients fire off.
That way we have a less straggly start up which makes for better bruteing figures.
Agreed so far?
Sorry I missed the fast/soon distinction. I've stopped the search after searching keys starting with 0xaf down to 0xa5, and will join the group search after I get settled in after moving to Berkeley tomorrow. I encourage the people who pointed their clients at me (thanks!) to stop them, and to join the group. In the interests of not adding a few days to the time, we should ignore the fact that a bit of the keyspace has already been searched, and start again. - Ian "On your marks, get set, ..."