Fingerprint Tool – File Integrity Checker

Deterministic zipping and verification utility that produces reproducible ZIP archives and cryptographic fingerprints (SHA256 and HMAC-SHA256).

The project provides:

• A GUI tool for general users
• A CLI tool for automation and scripting

Repository:

https://github.com/typer-hx/fingerprint_tool-File-Integrity-Checker.git

---

One-line Summary

Create deterministic ZIP archives and verify them using SHA256 and HMAC-SHA256 to ensure the file has not been modified.

---

Features

• Deterministic ZIP creation
• SHA256 hashing for integrity verification
• HMAC-SHA256 authenticated hashing
• Automatic folder → deterministic ZIP conversion
• CLI automation support
• GUI interface for non-technical users
• JSON manifest export
• Interactive verification mode
• Secure workflow for sender and receiver

---

Why Deterministic Zipping?

Normal ZIP tools may produce different binary outputs even when the files inside are identical.

Reasons include:

• timestamps
• metadata
• file ordering

This tool eliminates those differences by:

• sorting files before zipping
• fixing timestamps
• fixing permissions

Result:

same input → identical ZIP → identical hash

This makes cryptographic verification reliable.

---

Repository Structure

fingerprint_tool-File-Integrity-Checker/
│
├─ fingerprint_tool_cli.py
├─ gui_tool.py
├─ sample_manifest.json
├─ CHECKSUMS.txt
├─ LICENSE
└─ README.md

---

Installation

Requirements

Python 3.8 or newer

---

Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/typer-hx/fingerprint_tool-File-Integrity-Checker.git
cd fingerprint_tool-File-Integrity-Checker

(Optional virtual environment)

python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\activate

---

CLI Usage

Fingerprint a file

python fingerprint_tool_cli.py file.txt

---

Fingerprint a folder

python fingerprint_tool_cli.py folder_name

The folder will automatically be converted into a deterministic ZIP.

---

Wrap file into deterministic zip

python fingerprint_tool_cli.py file.txt --zip-files

---

Specify output location

python fingerprint_tool_cli.py folder_name --out output.zip

---

Setting HMAC Secret

Linux / macOS

export FINGERPRINT_SECRET=mysecret

Windows CMD

set FINGERPRINT_SECRET=mysecret

The secret must be shared securely with the receiver.

---

GUI Usage

Run the GUI:

python gui_tool.py

Steps:

1. Select a file or folder
2. Enter the HMAC secret
3. Click Run
4. The tool generates SHA256 and HMAC values

Optional actions:

• verify fingerprints
• save JSON manifest

---

Example Manifest

{
"type": "zip",
"filename": "package.zip",
"sha256": "0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef",
"hmac": "abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789"
}

---

Example Workflow

Sender

1. Generate ZIP and fingerprints
2. Send ZIP file to receiver
3. Send SHA256 and HMAC values
4. Share secret through secure channel

Receiver

1. After receiving the secure HMAC code, Runs verification
2. Compare hashes
3. If verified → unzip safely

---

Manual Verification Commands

PowerShell

Get-FileHash package.zip -Algorithm SHA256

Windows CMD

certutil -hashfile package.zip SHA256

OpenSSL HMAC example

openssl dgst -sha256 -hmac "secret" package.zip

---

Building the Windows Executable

You can build the GUI executable using PyInstaller.

Install PyInstaller:

pip install pyinstaller

Build the executable:

pyinstaller --onefile --windowed gui_tool.py

The executable will appear inside:

dist/gui_tool.exe

Upload the EXE to GitHub Releases instead of committing it to the repository.

---

Generating CHECKSUMS.txt

Example:

certutil -hashfile dist\gui_tool.exe SHA256

Example format:

gui_tool.exe  SHA256  <hash>
fingerprint_tool_cli.py  SHA256  <hash>

---

Security Best Practices

• Never send the HMAC secret together with the file
• Share secrets via secure channel
• Always verify hashes before extracting files
• Do not modify the produced ZIP before sending
• Generate a new secret for each transfer if possible

---

Contributing

Contributions are welcome.

Steps:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a new branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Open a Pull Request

Repository:

https://github.com/typer-hx/fingerprint_tool-File-Integrity-Checker

---

Disclaimer

This tool is designed for file integrity verification and secure file transfer workflows.

It does not replace full cryptographic signing systems such as GPG or code signing.

---

License

Student-First Non-Commercial License (SF-NC)

Commercial use requires permission.

---

Author

Aditya
https://github.com/typer-hx