colorhash/README.md

colorhash

A tool for creating distinct art based on input data or hash.

Usage

1. Clone the repository
2. Run using python -m colorhash -h for usage.

No dependencies required, everything is vanilla Python >=3.10.

Example usage

Create art using the default "nibble" art algorithm, printing out to the terminal

python -m colorhash infile.dat

Create art using the OpenSSH "randomart" art algorithm, writing to an SVG file

python -m colorhash infile.dat -y svg -o out.svg -m randomart

Create art using an MD5 hash instead of the default SHA512

python -m colorhash infile.dat -y svg -o out.svg -a md5

Motivation

Cryptographic hashes are often visually distinct, however, sometimes they are not. This can become vitally important in matters of security, when you are comparing two key hashes or verifying the checksum of a file from the internet. The goal of this project is to give more fuel for human pattern recognition so that two extremely similar hashes, maliciously crafted or not, have more visual depth to their distinction.

This is not a perfect solution. From OpenSSH sshkey.c:

If you see the picture is different, the key is different. If the picture looks the same, you still know nothing.

Examples

See the examples directory. TODO : make these into PNGs and embed them in this README file.