This is another along a similar vein to my last obfuscation, Brute force JAPH. Here again, crypt is used to generate the output, so deciphering all this is not straight-forward. This also means this may be a bit platform dependent (i.e., it depends on what your crypt() does).

$_=+q,8TZtX]8#GC8fahGMXWT_8TG#XtZ8ZuTGatWZZ!G_Z!8!8TZuXhTHahHMXhQ]Z1G_ aZXWaZ8T8TWHZ+WMXZZ8XhHMGMdQahGMZlZGahHMZ!dDZ18!HMH_Z!WMdJTHatGMahQHZu TMZ1aWZ+XWahGMQ~Z!XZdHXZ8TQATGZ1TMZ!XWahQGZ!QDZuXWatTGZ!8!8WTGZ+ZGQJTH Zl8WZ+aWZ+8u8TdHZ!aW8WTHZ+ZGQJTGZ1aWXtTHQJZ1ZldHXhGMZuddatQGZlTMaZ8T8W WHaZdJZlQAXtGMZlZHZ+XT8WdGatGMZ+QQZ+8+Q~dGZ!8u8TWHXhHMZ1QDZu8+ahGMXhHM Z+G#atHMatQGd~Z!ahW_Z!WMZldHahHMZudQZ1XTaZZlZ!ZGQAWGZuXWatWGatGMZ!H8Zu G_ahQJZ1XWatWGaZQ~d]WGZ!8uXhWGZuXTd]THZ!aW8WdHZ+8!d~dGZ+8uXtWHZ!XT8WTG ZuZHZ!8!XtHMZ1dDZ+aWXhWHZuaTQAWGXtHMZ1dDZ+ZHXh8Td]Z!XWT#Z!aWXhWHZ+G_8W TGZuXTZ1QHaZ8WaZd~atHMXZZGZ!8+ahTGQ~Z+XtW_Zu8!ZuWMXtHMZ!G#Z!8!XhWHXtHM ZlG_Z+aWZuTMahGMXZZH8WZ1aZQGZ!8uQ]dGZ+8!QAdHZu8!QAWHXhHMZ+G8Z+aTXtGMXZ dAZlQ]XtGMXZG_XhGMZ+dQZu8!Z+ZHZ181Z!ZGatGMZlG_XhQGZlZHZ!G_d~THZ!81atTH Z!8+8TTGXtGMZuQQZ+8uZl81Z!aTat8WZ!8+8TdGZuaWXt8TZ+ZHZlQGZ!8ud~dGZ+8+8W dG8TZ1XWT#Zl8WZ!aTXZ8WaZ8WahGMZlG_Z18+8WdGZu81XhTHZ18u8TdGZ1XWQ~WGZ!aT ah QA ZuXWXtTGXtdG Z1G#XhHMZ+H#Z1G_Z+8u Zl8WQJTGXtHMXZWMZu8!XZ Zl Z+WM8TTGZuaTHMdQQJZuZl dHatHMXZG_ahGMZ!QdZl8WaZ dAaZd~aZ 8TXhHMZl TMZ+aTdJdG8WZ1atW_Z1 XWZ+TMXtHMZlG_Z+WMZuXTXh HMZ+QDdAZ+aZ QHXhHMZ+ G#XtGMZu H8ZuaWaZZl Xh dHZlG_ at GMZl H_ahHMZ+H8Z1 XWah T_Z! XTatTH Z!8!8TTH ahGM ZlWM Z1 aT aZ XZZ+ H_8TWGZ+aTatWGZ1TMZ+8!ZlQA d~WGZu81Z+H_8TZ+ahW_atGMGM ddXZ 8WQJ WG Z!8uZ1TMatGMZ1QdZ18!8WQGatHMZlG_atGMZ!H#Z181ZlXTXt HMXZZHZ+8+ZlXWatGMZ!QGXhQGZ+QDZ!ZHZ!8uahGM8WZ+XhGM HMH# atHM Zl WMZuG_Z!XT8TZ1atW_Z+aTXh8TXtGMXtQGXtHMZ!QGXhdGZlZG ahGMZ!H#ahdGZuG8atGMZ!G8XtGMZ!QQahHMGMddXZQ]Zld~Xh GMGM QdXhGMd~Z! dJZ+XZQH8TZu8!T#QA ZuZldGah QGZ!dD Xh HMZ1 H8Xh QG ZuH8 atGM Z1dD Z+8! atQJZ+XWZ+TMahdHZ+G8Xt dHXZZGZuaW Xt 8WaZ8WZldAXhGMZ+dDZ+aTQ~dGXhHMGMG#XtdGaZWM 8TZ!HMZGZld]ZlQJatHMZuG#Zu8+Z+WMZuWMZ+aWahHMHMQd atQH at QGZ+ 8! 8TQGd~Z1XW W#XZQJaZ8W at HMHMQdaZQAXZ8TZ+aWQ~WHahdHZ!dd XhdGXtQGQAZ!ZldHXhHMaZG_Z+H_Z181Xh GMd~TG Z1 G_ Z+ 8!XtGMZudd ahGMHMQdZ+818WQGXt HMZ!dHat QG Z!QDat GM HM H#at GMZu dd Xt GM GM H#Zu H_ 8T WHZ+WM Zu 8uZ1XT8TWH atHM HM H#at GMdA Z+Z!XTah WHatdGZ1G8 Z+XW d]dGahHMZuQDZ! aWahWGaZQ]Xt dHZ+ XWd]dGZ181ZuH_ XZQ~Zl8TXtHM XZG_ Z! aT8WQGat HMQ~TH XhGM HM dQ ahHMZ+H#ZuG_Z!81Z1WM8TTGXhGMZ+ dGahHM8TZ1Z18+XtWHXtdGZuQDZ+818TdH ahGMZ+ QD Z1 8u XtTHZl8TXt dGZ1aWQAQGdAZ1ZlQH d~ZuaZQH atGMZ+ QQ Zu8u ahWH Xt GM d~TG Xt HMHM dd atGM Z1 H#XhGMZudHZ18!d]dGQ~Z+ZldHahGM 8TZuZ+XWahTHZu8+Z1WMZ+XTahTHah GMZu H8Z1 G_Z+ 8uXtHM 8WZuahGMZ+ QGatGMXZ H_Zu H_ Z+8+Zu8uahQAZuZGdAWHZ1aWXZ8uZ! WMZuaW 8WZ!aZdHZuG_Zu8uXtdHXZWMZ1WM8W THZ18+ atHM Z+ XWZ!ZHZ1ZH8WWGXhHMZ!dHatdHZ!dD Z!TMZu8uZl8WahdHZ!TMZu8+ZldJatQGah GMGMdd Xh HM Q~ Z!ZuaWat WHd]Z! HMTMZ+81 XhTGXtGM8T WG Zu81Z!TM XhHM GMG# Z+ZGZuXT Xh QGXt QHZ1XT XtWG at GM8TTHZu 8u 8WdGatHMZudDZu 8+ZuTMXh GMd~WHZ! H_ Z! aTahHM Z1dQZ1 ZGZu 8!Z!8!XhWGatGM HMddXt GM8TZ!Z18u8TQGdAZ1 Zl dGZ+8!ahWGXtGMZuH8 XtGMHM dQatdGZu QDatHMHM H# ahGMZlZGZ! ZGZ1aTZuWMQ]WGZ1WM Z+81XZ8T ahQH8T Z! GMTM ahGM at QHZ+ TMZ! XWah HMZl ZGatGMZudDZ+aTGMG_XtGM GMQdXhdHXh QG Zu8uXtWGZu8+8WdHZ!8+ahTG d]Z+XhHMZ+8uZuZGZuG_Z18uahGM GMG#Xt dH atQG Z1aWZ1ZHZ1G_dATHZ+XWZ1WMatQGXh QHZ!81XtTGXtGM8TZuZ+aWQ~QHZu8! d]WG 8T Z1ZldGXh GMZ+H# Q] Z+GMWMZu XWXtGM Z! 818WQGat GMZ1G8 XZ 8W aZd~Zu 8!XhWH Z!aW atWGaZdJQ]WGZ+ 8uahTG XhdHZuH8Z1TMZu81at GM ZlZHZ1G_Zu8uZuG_dA THZ1ZG ZlZ#Z+TM 8WQQZuH_ Z1 8uZ+TMahGM XtHMXt8WZ1H_ZlQ~ah HMZ!TMat dGXh8T Z1 G_Zl dAZ! H_ dJdd Zl8W XhHM aZdJ 8TdQQ]Z+8WQQ8TZ!ahHMZl 8Td~G#XZ8W at HMZl8Td~Z+XhQHZ1WMaZ8TXh GMXZ8TZ181aZ8WZ+H_ZuG_GMddah QGXhGM XZ dJZ! G_Zld~XZQGZl8WZ!dHXZQ~Z1XWZ+H_ ZlTMZuZHZ+8+Z1WMXtdGZ+ZHZlZ8Zu ZHZ+ aWZuTMXtGMZu ZGXZQHZ1G_8WH#XtdGaZZ8 XtdHdAZu atQHahT_ XtQH XZd] XZ d]Z1 aTXh dH ZlG_Z1TMZu81Z+ZHXhGMZ1WMQ]G#XhQG8WG#XtdGd]Z!ahdHHM TMahdHaZ8TaZd~Zu8uXtdHZlH_ZuZGZu81Z!ZGXhdHaZ8WZlZ8 XtdG XZQ~ Xh dGQAZ+Z+TMQ~H#ZuZHZu8+ZuZHXhHM atHMXh 8WZ1TMaZQ]Z1G_XZQ]XhHMZlaZZlQ] ahHMZ+ H_XZ Z#ZuTMGMWM Z!TMXWT#Z+ZHXZZ8Xt QHahGMat dG ZlTMZl 8W Zu ZHZu WMHM H# ah QG Z+ QQXt QH 8W Z+XZd] Zl ZGZ1ZHZ!XT Z+TMXtQHZ!ZH8WG#XtQGZl8WahQGQJZ!Z!G_QAH#Z!ZGZuXTZ!ZGahHMZ+ZHahT_atHMah 8WZ!ZHZ+8udJZ1ahTGZ1WMHMQdahQGXhQGXhdHahWHXZ8WZ1G_Z1ZHGMG#ZlQ]XtGMXZ8T Z+QHXtdG8TdQXhdHXZQHZl8WZ!8+XtGMaZaZXtdG8TZuXZ8WahdHahQG8TWHXhQGdJH#Z+ ZGZ18uZuTMahHMatQ8ahd8XtGMahQ]QAG#atZ1GMaCaZXZahZ1XtQ8Z!dAZ+TZaWd8aT8T ZuWZZ!8TZ1XWXZahZ!8TZ+HMZ!XhatW#aZ8TZuXhZ!WMZ+W#Z+HMatX|ahGMatZlXhWZah GMXhdJatTMXtQ8ZlWZaZXTXZdGZlZuZ+HMZla|ahHMahQAXtTZZlWZZlaWZldHZlZ1Z!GM aZaCXhGMXtZlZ+WZZlZ+XZ8uXhQ8ahHMatd]QJH#atZuXtZu8TZ#Z!d~XhQ8ahQHXhQHXt d8Zl8TaZXCZ!XhXhW#XZX|ZlaWZuX|ahHMXhXZatWZZlZuXZaTXtQ8atHMXt8TXtdG8WdQ XhHMaWT_atW#ZlaZaZW_Z1atXhT#Z!Q~Z!T#aZd8ZlTMZ1HM8WZ8aZ81Z1aZZlTGZlTZXt GMatQ]8f8f8W8aX~8HXMGM8H8fGXGfZfZXGfGaGZQ8HXGWH88MQXG8H!GMHT8_8W8Q8f8W 8a818fQfdZdDdGGWd_8T8a8fQfQZQDQHGWQ_8W8dGfQHdZ8f8W8aaJ8H8HX#HX8f8D8D8f daQ_G88MQ_QZH_8T8Q8fdHQZ8f8W8X8DXJ8TZh8MdQdhH88MHXGMdfQ+GWX#dZHdQ|df8T 8X,,$#='rD',s|\S|substr crypt($&,$#),length$#,length$&|ge,$#=''; s,..,chr hex$&,ge,$#.=$_ for split;eval$#

The format of the text comes from the Unix banner program.

I'll explain the workings of this in the spoiler.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Wall of Text (making of)
by kyle (Abbot) on Apr 10, 2008 at 16:53 UTC

    This is the program I used to make the wall of text.

    The format file was made with this command line:

    banner -w 35 Wall of text crits you ... you die | perl -pe 's/(.)/$1$1 +/g' > obfu-banner

    Then I ran the above this way:

    perl obfu-make.pl obfu-banner > wot.pl

    The resulting wot.pl doesn't run as-is. It has to be edited because obfu-make isn't too smart about where it puts the line breaks.

    Each wall it generates has a different character set because it chooses salts randomly. I ran it a few times to get blocky characters rather than tiny characters.

    I would not be surprised to find there are some bugs here that make this unsuitable for more general purposes. I would not recommend this as a ready-made way of doing anything other than what it does. Still, as a proof of concept, it might be instructive and/or interesting to others.