Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is this site?
    This site is the frontend for the GI John, you can register, get points and upload hashes to crack.

  • What is GI John?
    GI John (Grid Implemented John) is a distributed password cracker. It has two parts: this website and a patch for the famous John The Ripper password cracker.

  • What does it stand for?
    There is a need for an open-source, distributed password cracker. You couldn't crack hashes on more than one computer in paralell until now. There have been many attempts in the past, but no one was scaleable for the future, neither was usable in a graceful way. Maybe you wont find this graceful too, but at least you are trying it out.

  • What should I do?
    1. First of all you'll have to download the patch, or the patched john and compile it
    2. You have to register
    3. The next step is modifying the gijohn.conf (use your registrated account)
    4. Run gijohn like this: ./john --gijohn=gijohn.info

  • Why am I unable to register?
    I can't help you this time...

  • Why am I unable to log in?
    You have to run gijohn for a while until the "[+] x cracked hash sent!" message appears.
    You can log in after this.

  • Why am I unable to upload hashes?
    Probably you forgot to add the username to the hashes. The GI John works like the original John. You have to upload the hashes like this:
    username:hash

  • How does it work?
    You can upload hashes and information about then like the hash format, characterset and length. The system calculates the keyspace, and divides it to parts.
    If you run the client (gijohn), you'll get a part from the keyspace that you will have to crack (try all the possible keys in that part). If the part-keyspace is cracked, gijohn sends the results back to the server
    If the server recieves and accepts it you will get some points. With enough points you can upload hashes and buy priority for them.

  • How does the scoring system work?
    Like a bank for your unused CPU time. You deposit your savings, which you can access later at the time of need.

  • I always crack 1 hash in every part-keyspace, why don't I get a point...?
    We send you a fake hash in all part-keyspace. This is a control function: If you can't find it, you are probably a cheater. It is your interest to find it. You won't get a point for doing what you have to do.

  • How can I report a bug?
    Please only do that if it is really a bug! You can send an e-mail to me: info[_at_]gijohn[_dot_]info

  • Is it open-source?
    Yes and no. The part that was implemented in C is open-source, you can trust, modify and reuse it. But this site, the php part is not.

  • Should I say thanks to anyone?
    Yes of course. The main idea came from Depth and Buherator they wanted to create an opensource, good scaleable distributed program.
    And some others: Drake, Hunger, synapse, soyer, dnet, kdavid, DrMcKay, _2501, sghctoma and so on... :)

  • I want to run gijohn on more than 1 core/cpu (Hyperthread included)?
    Run more instances of john like this (you have to change the PROCNUM):
    ./john --gijohn=gijohn.info --gijsmp=PROCNUM

  • How can I make GI John more verbose?
    Run john like this:
    ./john --gijohn=gijohn.info --verbose

    •