sha384sum

sha384sum is a command line tool used to compute and verify the SHA-384 cryptographic hash of files. It is commonly found in UNIX-like operating systems, including Linux.

The SHA-384 algorithm is a part of the SHA-2 (Secure Hash Algorithm 2) family, known for producing a 384-bit hash value. This hash function is considered to be highly secure and resistant to various cryptographic attacks.

When used, sha384sum takes a file or input data as an argument and calculates its SHA-384 hash. It then outputs the hash value along with the name of the file or '-' if the hash is calculated from standard input.

The tool can be particularly useful for verifying file integrity or ensuring that transferred files have not been tampered with. By comparing the computed hash to a previously obtained hash value, users can determine if the file has been modified.

One popular application of sha384sum is in the process of securely downloading and verifying Linux distributions. Users often compare the SHA-384 hash provided by the distribution's maintainers with the calculated hash of the downloaded ISO file to detect any potential tampering.

By default, sha384sum uses hexadecimal output format, but it can also display the hash in binary or base64 formats. Additionally, it supports options like -c to verify hash values stored in a separate file, -t to include the file's timestamp in the output, and --tag to include the hash algorithm name in the output.

Overall, sha384sum provides a straightforward and reliable method to compute and verify the SHA-384 hash of files, making it a valuable tool in ensuring data integrity and security.