I am calculating MD5 sums for files on a unix distribution server and windows clients to check thay are the same. This works fine for gzip files, tar files, plain text but for .exe files the checksums differ. 

# on 'doze..
# This is perl, v5.8.6 built for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread
perl -le "use Digest::MD5 ('md5_base64'); print md5_base64(<>);" perl.
+exe
hoHYr/QOR7z7Pre69QdMOg

D:\perl\bin>ftp tivprehub1
Connected to tivprehub1.
<snip>
230 User ******* logged in.
ftp> bin
200 Type set to I.
ftp> put perl.exe
200 PORT command successful.
150 Opening data connection for perl.exe.
226 Transfer complete.
41033 bytes sent in 0.33 seconds (124.72 Kbytes/sec)
ftp> bye
221 Goodbye.

# *nix
# This is perl, v5.8.0 built for aix-thread-multi
nph>perl -le'use Digest::MD5 ("md5_base64"); print md5_base64(<>);' pe
+rl.exe
+QpV/tbZNRzK5aIPqc18tQ

# now I gzip the exe at both ends...

# 'doze
perl -le "use Digest::MD5 ('md5_base64'); print md5_base64(<>);" perl.
+exe.gz
QinlhnAssDofoVV07khg1g

# *nix
nph>perl -le'use Digest::MD5 ("md5_base64"); print md5_base64(<>);' pe
+rl.exe.gz
QinlhnAssDofoVV07khg1g

[download]
Does anyone have a clue why this may be ? I have the workaround of gzipping the executables I am to compare then comparing these checksums but would rather not. I am imagining that little paperclip popping up 'looks like you are trying to open an executable ... '

Cheers,
R.

Pereant, qui ante nos nostra dixerunt!

In reply to md5 sum different on windows and unix for win.exe files !!? by Random_Walk

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