attrsum/README.md
2025-05-08 14:19:51 -07:00

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[**attrsum**](https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/attrsum/) is a **Go
1.22** command-line utility that **adds, updates, verifies, and clears per-file
file content checksums stored in extended attributes (xattrs) on macOS (APFS) and
Linux**, released under the [WTFPL v2](http://www.wtfpl.net/).
Original release 2025-05-08.
Current version 1.0 (2025-05-08).
---
## Getting Started — Quick Build
```bash
# prerequisites: Go 1.22+
git clone https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/attrsum.git
cd attrsum
go build -o attrsum .
```
### Install
```bash
go install git.eeqj.de/sneak/attrsum@latest # into GOPATH/bin or $(go env GOBIN)
```
Semantic Versioning 2.0.0 is used for tags.
---
## Usage
```bash
# add checksum & timestamp xattrs to every regular file under DIR
attrsum sum add DIR
# update checksum only when file mtime is newer than stored sumtime
attrsum sum update DIR
# verify checksums, stop on first error
attrsum check DIR
# verify every file, reporting each result, keep going after errors
attrsum -v check --continue DIR
# remove checksum & timestamp xattrs
attrsum clear DIR
```
| xattr key | meaning |
|---------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| `berlin.sneak.app.attrsum.checksum` | base-58 multihash (sha2-256) |
| `berlin.sneak.app.attrsum.sumtime` | RFC 3339 timestamp of checksum |
Flags:
* `-v, --verbose` — per-file log output
* `--exclude PATTERN` — skip paths matching rsync/Doublestar glob
* `--exclude-dotfiles` — skip any path component that starts with `.`
`attrsum` **never follows symlinks** and skips non-regular files (sockets, devices, …).
---
## Why?
Apple APFS and Linux ext3/ext4 **store no per-file metadata checksums**, so
silent data corruption can pass unnoticed. `attrsum` keeps a portable,
tamper-evident checksum **inside each files xattrs**, providing integrity
verification that travels with the file itself—no external database
required. Now you can trust a USB stick didn't eat your data.
---
## Contributing
* Author & maintainer: **sneak** <sneak@sneak.berlin>
* Issues / PRs: <https://git.eeqj.de/sneak/attrsum/>
* Code must pass `go vet`, `go test ./...`, and `go fmt`.
* No CLA; contributions are under WTFPL v2.
---
## Community & Support
Bug tracker and wiki are in the Gitea repo linked above.
No formal Code of Conduct; be excellent to each other.
---
## License
*Everything is permitted.*
See [WTFPL v2](http://www.wtfpl.net/txt/copying/).