The Toughest Developer Puzzle Ever

http://www.toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/tdpe/

by d3w4rd • 17 years ago

16 113 17 years ago

toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com

zaph0d3• 17 years ago

Stuck at level #13

itodd• 17 years ago

Me too. I tried both words and numbers.

intregus• 17 years ago

Same. It's really tough. I think the 3rd one is all that I'm missing, and I have no ideas for it.

jibiki• 17 years ago

I'm pretty sure I have the third one, but not two or four.

sharkbrainguy4• 17 years ago

This one annoyed me so here's a hint to what I was doing "wrong".

http://pastie.org/531585

devangthakkar2• 17 years ago

I am stuck at #13. I tried using 6 & 9 for G ...but it does not work. I am sure I have all 4 answers (1) G...(2)B* (3)B* (4)L*, but it seems it is not accepting.

finnw4• 17 years ago

Similarly beware of using the wrong digit for "L".

chaosprophet3• 17 years ago

Jeez finally got through after about 20 tries... HINT: Try plurals... And the fourth is a bit unfair cuz it's not exclusively a geeks childhood toy...

gt7570b8• 17 years ago

Im at #16, cause I don't know php

gt7570b8• 17 years ago

What is the answer to this: Enter the command to show the server variables in php:

It's got to be some short text cause $_SERVER, phpinfo, getenv, and other variants don;t work.

zaph0d3• 17 years ago

phpinfo();

elmos3• 17 years ago

doesn't work!!!

gt7570b8• 17 years ago

the transition from 24 to 25 is tricky.

gt7570b8• 17 years ago

Officially stuck at trying to get from 24 to 25. They tell you to go a url for 25 but it doesn't exist.... This is mind boggling.

profquail3• 17 years ago

I'm stuck on the last one (which I think is the hardest), but 24-25 is a tricky one as well. The answer is in there though ;)

EDIT: I think I may actually have figured it out just now...turns out my original method was just a little off. Now to wait and see if I won!

Gmo2• 17 years ago

Also stuck to 24/25 ... I've seen something which should be a clue but I clearly don't see what I have to do ...

gt7570b8• 17 years ago

I'm on ping pong, which appears to be level 29... So you're on the one after that?

gt7570b8• 17 years ago

Okay now I just got to figure out the email thing and I'll win.

dalaeth• 17 years ago

Me too.. Completely lost.

Raphael3• 17 years ago

Argh. I see the clue; it just makes no sense. I see the at-sign and the dot, and I suppose the riddle tells you how to decode the rest.

saulkyut• 17 years ago

stucked on the last one.. could you give me a hint please?

Raphael3• 17 years ago

Why does VanillaIceCream (question 22) call it's parent class's constructor?

zaph0d3• 17 years ago

Somebody help me with #21

What're those round numbers?

sharkbrainguy4• 17 years ago

  var round = function(number){
      var binary = number.toString(2);
      var hex = number.toString(16);
      var R = function(str){
          return /^10*$/.test(str);
      };
      return R(binary) && R(hex);
  };

That I wrote this just shows how special class I am... If a number is "round" in base-n that just means it's a power of n, and obviously all powers of 16 are also powers of 2.

anonymouswrites3• 17 years ago

I am struck at #14

finnw4• 17 years ago

Don't waste your time on this stupid puzzle. #13 is just completely unfair. There are too many combinations (if the answer ends with '0' do add a '5' to form a plural or use a decimal point? Do you use '9' or '8' to represent 'b'?) Trying out all the possibilities is just not fun. And the 4th question is too much of a guessing game.

dan_the_man2• 17 years ago

Well you're entitled to your opinion of course, but #4 is not a guessing game - the answer is given to you, you just have to work out how to find it.

#17 has me totally stumped though, anyone offer any clues? I've tried naming the computer, the institute, the museum... no luck :-(

finnw4• 17 years ago

I don't mean the 4th task, I mean the 4th question in task #13

anonymouswrites3• 17 years ago

any hints for #14

anonymouswrites3• 17 years ago

any hints for #14

chaosprophet3• 17 years ago

the username is the computers name and the password is the year it was completed. Wikipedia's not really accurate on that last count, so try google.

finnw4• 17 years ago

I'm surprised no-one has yet pointed out that #15 does not work in FireFox 3 (I happen to know the answer and was confused that there seemed to be no way to enter it - until I switched to Safari.)

js117• 17 years ago

Level #13: google, bsod, bios, lego is not working, I also tried "gijoe" and plural and inverted...

js117• 17 years ago

Microsoft BOB works though (in caps) and 4th is plural, reverse the words with 6 for g, 7 for L and 8 for B

sircmpwn• 17 years ago

Can anyone who solved #13 just put the darn answer down!

js117• 17 years ago

#13: gOOgLE, BOB, BIOS, LEGOS (flip it, reverse on a calc)

You have enough hints now...

andyshader2• 17 years ago

is there any other trick here? I have tried all possible combinations (reverse , read right to left), still does not work. tx

lancet• 17 years ago

Does anyone have additional hints for #27?

suprafarq2• 17 years ago

The important hint is "Take the first one each time"...

Ask yourself why there is a period in the first column all by itself.

The "distance" comment has something to do with a word formula.

js117• 17 years ago

A word formula damn...

I found the answer on that page, but I still don't get it, between what you say and the relationship with that algorithm.

http://php.net/manual/en/function.similar-text.php

supergost• 17 years ago

Also looking for hint on #27

mandy4• 17 years ago

still looking for 27....any furhter hints??

elmos3• 17 years ago

Whats the answer for 16!!!! is annoying

elmos3• 17 years ago

any hints on this???? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

awright182• 17 years ago

phpinfo(); it was from above and is correct.

awright182• 17 years ago

agreed very annoying I couldn't figure this out either. tried foreaching through the $_SERVER too still can't get it.

suprafarq2• 17 years ago

Any hints on #30?

Dhirendra• 17 years ago

Any Hint for 28?

js117• 17 years ago

Use the PHP function you wrote to get from 27 to 28 with the arguments given in 28...

hems3• 17 years ago

Stuck @29 :(

mandy4• 17 years ago

same here can;t go beyond 29

hems3• 17 years ago

ufhooo @30.. need to break the email..

chaosprophet3• 17 years ago

Can't seem to find a way into level 27, stuck at 26. Din't find anything in the source. Tried following addresses "ponandzi.aspx", "ponzi.aspx", "jefthomas.aspx", "azuzephre.aspx"... nothing seems to get me into level 27... Any hints???

js117• 17 years ago

For #26, just check the cookie headers... The cat is telling you that the cookie were eaten/written... Very easy.

duhhh• 17 years ago

any hints on level 6? I am not a developer. But I made it this far!

lucia3• 17 years ago

Hey all,

I've been at number 30 for a few days and is still stuck. Does anyone have pointers for this?

mc_mc9• 17 years ago

I got the email, but puzzle isn't complete. Don't understand whats missing. Maybe correct email subject?

lucia3• 17 years ago

I see. I still haven't been able to decipher it to get the email address, how were you able to?

lonjay42• 17 years ago

im stuck in level 2..what do i need to do to go to level 3...thanks

js117• 17 years ago

Just go straight to level 3...

puroy• 17 years ago

What's the hint on level 30?

eina4• 17 years ago

I can't find how to get to level 25... :(

js117• 17 years ago

open level24.js, type the answer or go to that URL...

BTW, the level25 is a fake 404 page, read the stack trace...

eina4• 17 years ago

wow! thanks a lot.. never thought of it... :D

eina4• 17 years ago

whew! done.. can sleep peacefully now... hehehe

eina4• 17 years ago

I got email confirmation but it says I didn't solve the puzzle exactly.. I guess I got the correct mail address but there's something missing. any hints?

lolipopsarap• 17 years ago

stuck on debuging javascripts. im not sure if its #5

js117• 17 years ago

Answers:

1) http://www.toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/tdpe/level1.aspx

Click on the knob

2) http://www.toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/tdpe/level2.aspx

Read sentence and type this:

3) http://www.toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/tdpe/level3.aspx

View page source and type this:

4) http://www.jeffblankenburg.com/tdpe/jeff.aspx

View source, copy-paste to calc in bin mode, convert to hex, pair of 2 hex: U: 69,68,65,61,72,74 and P: 73,6F,66,74,77,61,72,65 open an ASCII hex chart table and translate (61-79 is a-z lowercase):

Type Username: iheart Password: software and Proceed

5) http://www.jeffblankenburg.com/tdpe/thatisnotenglish.aspx

View source, image is called wingdings.png, open WordPad, type a-z in lowercase in wingding font match the image symbols, convert to arial, copy-paste.

Type Username: wheelof Password: jeopardy and Proceed

6) http://www.jeffblankenburg.com/tdpe/yesthatisjavascript.aspx #cns

Read the script, copy/paste in an HTML dummy page, fix bugs, it should be:

regexp.exec() (c missing) checkNonInteger() (n missing) primes[] (s missing)

Type solution: cns and Proceed

7) http://www.jeffblankenburg.com/tdpe/algebra.aspx

Substitute downward until you get:

1+x+x+x+x=89 x=(89-1)/4

Type x=22 and Proceed

8) http://www.jeffblankenburg.com/tdpe/sudoku.aspx

By simple deduction, it cannot be 2,3,5,6,7 so you are left with 1,4,8,9 Either solve the puzzle or just try them all four, one by one.

Type x=9 and Proceed.

9) http://www.jeffblankenburg.com/tdpe/BOSSLEVEL.aspx

Two different ways: Open the JavaScript code translate into keys and do it. Search on Google: "Contra 30 lives"

Open IE for this one, it is broken in Firefox 3.

Press: UP,UP,DOWN,DOWN,LEFT,RIGHT,LEFT,RIGHT,B,A

10) http://www.jeffblankenburg.com/tdpe/notourprincess.aspx

View source, click the image...

11) http://codinggeekette.com/tdpe/mybff.aspx

View source, look for that sentence in Google.

Type: http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/mybff.aspx?user=software&...

12) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/monumental.aspx

Does not work anymore... Type: http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/sequencename.aspx?rnd=fib...

13) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/calcwords.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Bob (Hint: Melinda Gates was the project manager)

gOOgLE, BOB, BIOS, LEgOS

(reverse with digits, if not convince try with a real calculator)

Type: 376006, 808, 5018, 50637 and Proceed

14) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/notasnake.aspx

Search on Google: "Zen of python"

Type: import this and Proceed

15) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/idclipdoom.aspx

Search on Google: "Doom I" cheat code next level

Type: IDSPISPOPD

16) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/showmethevariables.aspx

Try the common server config display http://php.net/phpinfo

Type: phpinfo();

17) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/oldschool.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC, wikipedia says 1946... try 1945.

Type Username: eniac Password: 1945 and Proceed

18) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/chinchillas.aspx

Search on Google: smalltalk chinchillas implementation

http://www.squeak.org/

Type: squeak and Proceed

19) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/icanhazcode.aspx

Search on Google: "CAN HAS STDIO?"

Example ends with: KTHXBYE

Type: KTHXBYE and Proceed

20) http://www.codinggeekette.com/tdpe/kthxbye.aspx

View source, click the image

21) http://brendan.enrick.com/tdpe/untitled.aspx

Use code above to find the correct number.

Type: 1162564096 and Proceed

22) http://brendan.enrick.com/tdpe/icecream.aspx

Call ancestor class first in order (implicit super() being called)

Type: 134124 and Proceed, then click on the link

23) http://brendan.enrick.com/tdpe/threelawsofrobotics.aspx?x=Ro...

Search on Google: "robot laws" Answer also in view source

Type: http://brendan.enrick.com/tdpe/threelawsofrobotics.aspx?x=As...

24) http://brendan.enrick.com/tdpe/level24.aspx?x=superSecretExt...

Open level24.js or secret.js

Type: thisistheanswer and Proceed, then type URL:

25) http://toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/tdpe/level25.aspx

Read 404 message, compare to a real one, it says in suffix:

", but it's more likely you're being fooled."

View source, read stack trace:

"at System.Web.UI.ThisIsAFakeErrorPage.YouCanGetPastIt.GetToNextPuzzle(ToughestDeveloper puzzleEver, DotCom slash, TdpeSlash level, TwentySix dotAspx)"

26) http://toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/Tdpe/levelTwentySix.a...

View source, either use show cookie, Firebug or HTTP Live headers:

Cookie header says: nextLevel=--> http://www.toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/tdpe/twoseven.asp... <--;

27) http://www.toughestdeveloperpuzzleever.com/tdpe/twoseven.asp... and http://jexed.com/tdpe/twentyseventext.aspx

"Take the first one each time. They'll get you the distance."

The author means take each page name and plug it into the leveinstein function, you will get the word distance of 8, which is the number of words in: "This is not the hint. Seriously stop checking."

Search on Google: distance algorithm

http://php.net/manual/en/function.levenshtein.php

28) http://jexed.com/tdpe/levenshtein.aspx

<?php echo levenshtein("killer","bunnies"); // output 6

Type 6 and Proceed

29) http://jexed.com/tdpe/pingpong.aspx

Now, compare those two images: http://jexed.com/tdpe/assets/images/pingpong.png

Search on Google Images: ping pong tournament http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1121/1098453615_f41fb895bd.jp...

The title is different, now read the sentence: "There's a command in that image. Maybe you should start following instructions."

open a command prompt, type: "ping pong.com", you get: "Pinging pong.com [68.178.232.99] with 32 bytes of data:"

Type one number in each box "68 178 232 99" and Proceed

30) http://jexed.com/tdpe/congratulations.aspx

View page source and figure it out yourself :D

js117• 17 years ago

Supplemental hints:

13) A popular search engine: Google

A failed interface to an operating system: Microsoft Bob

Search on Google: Microsoft failed GUI

When the computer first boots up, you can log into its: BIOS

Search on Google Image: computer first boots up

Childhood toys for many geeks: Legos

Search on Google Image: "Childhood toys" First link is: "Favorite childhood toys from the '80s" for Legos

16) Search on Google: display server configuration php

17) Search on Google: Smithsonian computer panel museum

mc_mc9• 17 years ago

I've been stuck on #30 for days... any good hints? I found an email following the hints I had already posted before, but it's not complete.

The Toughest Developer Puzzle Ever

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