F-Prot for DOS - what are sign2.def and fssign2.def differ..

Any F-Prot users out there who might be able to clear up some
confusion for me about the files sign2.def and fssign2.def?

I noticed some time ago that the file sign2.def no longer seemed
to be updated on the fsecure site that I use for regular
definition updates (at least, it's not now in the zip package
fp-def.zip which I have always used to obtain the definition
updates).

However, a "new" file (fssign2.def) appeared in the package a
while ago, and I routinely unzip this into my f-prot folder.

Whenever I run f-prot for DOS the information in the window tells
me the date of each definition file. It lists sign2.def with the
date 4 August 2003 (the last update I obtained) but does not list
fssign2.def, so presumably does not use it?

When updating at f-secure I also download the package
macrdef2.zip from their DOS folder and unzip that also to my
f-prot folder.

When last updating I noticed there was an uncompressed file
sign2.def in the same folder on the f-secure site, dated 29
September, size 888311 bytes, and I jotted down the details.

Later, when I had unzipped the downloaded packages into the
f-prot folder I noticed that the new fssign2.def file was dated
27 September and size 888311 bytes.

Seems too much of a coincidence and I wonder if these files are
the same, and whether I should rename fssign2.def after unzipping
into the f-prot folder.

I would be grateful if anyone could explain the significance of
these similarly named files. I wonder if I need the fssign2.def
file for DOS use, and if I should routinely look for the
uncompressed file sign2.def at f-secure and download that in
addition to the files in the zip package fp-def.zip

Tia. John S.

"Robert Green" <lasrpro DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote:

>"John S." <oaken DeleteThis @nospam.thanks.invalid> wrote in message
>news:3f7a0394.4296475@news.paradise.net.nz...
>> Any F-Prot users out there who might be able to clear up some
>> confusion for me about the files sign2.def and fssign2.def?
>
>The FSSIGN2.DEF name is specific to F-SECURE and SIGN2.DEF is specific
>to F-PROT. FSSIGN2.DEF will work with F-PROT if you rename it to
>SIGN2.DEF.

SNIP ....

>> I would be grateful if anyone could explain the significance of
>> these similarly named files. I wonder if I need the fssign2.def
>> file for DOS use, and if I should routinely look for the
>> uncompressed file sign2.def at f-secure and download that in
>> addition to the files in the zip package fp-def.zip
>
>Not really sure, but probably the idea is to keep the files'
>identities seperate, since F-SECURE can update independently of F-PROT
>(although the files are usually in sync).
>
Many thanks for the information. I think I will try downloading
both files (fssign2.def and the uncompressed sign2.def) from
f-secure for a while and comparing them with a file checking
utility. If they are consistently the same it will be easier in
future to just rename the fssign2.def at each update, than to
download the uncompressed file.

I have often wondered why there are two signature files to be
updated, rather than just put the required infomation into one
file, but I guess the two files must hold information of a
different type?

Thanks again for the reply (and also to Mr Setaro).

John S.