Re: [ros-dev] End-of-merge for some components shared with Wine

[Alex Ionescu]

Steven Edwards wrote:

>  --- Alex Ionescu <ionucu(a)videotron.ca> wrote:
>   
>
> >  require a real-world application. Of COURSE there
> > is one...or else why 
> > would the API be exported? Sure, there might be only three applications 
> >     
> >  
> A real world application that is not part of Windows. If you can find a real world
> application
> that is not part of Windows or made by Microsoft and NOT called a OS COMPONATE and makes
> use of
> advapi32.SystemFunction* or setupapi.stringtable* then I will agree.
>   
>  
Flawed reasoning. Here are some reasons:

Even if only an Windows DLL uses the function, it implies that the 
Windows DLL needs that functionality. It's also highly likely that DLL 
has exported functions used by applications, implying in turn that WINE 
has a FOSS version of that DLL. Now, it's not a far stretch that if this 
DLL needs to import an undocumented API from another DLL, it actually 
*needs* that functionality, and so will WINE. So let's say that 
crypt32.dll needs advapi32!SystemFunctionImSuperUndocumented007 to 
generate an RC5 hash, then WINE also probably needs a way to get an RC5 
hash. What are the solutions?

1) Implement a home-made RC5 hash and call it CryptpRc5Hash, and stick 
it as an internal static function inside crypt32.dll
2) Above, but stuck into a winelib.dll
3) Above, but stuck into advapi32!SystemFunctionImSuperUndocumented007, 
with minor changes to make sure it corresponds to the same parameters.

What harm does #3 do? It gives the same result as #1/2, but has the 
added avantage that if, somehow, somewhere, an external app needs an RC5 
hash and figured out that function, it will work. This goes back to what 
I said, undocumented functions are not exported just for the fun of it. 
Even if they are only used by other DLLs, those DLLs need that 
functionality and so will the WINE dlls.

It's not like WINE developers were forced or had to spend time to write 
these functions, one of our developers did (and he submited patches to 
WINE). What possible -harm- can it do?

By the way, IE and WMP are OS Components. According to what you said, 
these also don't count:
"made by Microsoft and NOT called a OS COMPONATE".

I certaintly hope they don't start using undocumented functions! (But 
trust me, their calls do end up in those SystemFunctionXXX advapi calls 
through other DLLs). Almost any crypto/security call does.

>  Thanks
> Steven
>
>
>   
>  
Best Regards,
Alex Ionescu