MSA
application/vnd.msa-disk-image
Magic Bytes
Offset: 0
0E 0F
Magic Shadow Archiver (MSA) is a legacy disk image format originally developed for the Atari ST computing platform. This format primarily serves to archive floppy disk contents into a single compressed file, enabling software preservation and usage within modern Atari system emulators like Steem or Hatari. Although currently obsolete for general computing, the format remains significant in retro-computing communities for maintaining vintage software collections, with no inherent executable security risks associated with the file structure itself.
Validation Code
How to validate .msa files in Python
def is_msa(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid MSA by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x0E, 0x0F])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(2) == signatureHow to validate .msa files in Node.js
function isMSA(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x0E, 0x0F]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 2).equals(signature);
}How to validate .msa files in Go
func IsMSA(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x0E, 0x0F}
if len(data) < 2 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:2], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/msa
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/msa
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .msa file?
A .msa file is a MSA file. Magic Shadow Archiver (MSA) is a legacy disk image format originally developed for the Atari ST computing platform. This format primarily serves to archive floppy disk contents into a single compressed file, enabling software preservation and usage within modern Atari system emulators like Steem or Hatari. Although currently obsolete for general computing, the format remains significant in retro-computing communities for maintaining vintage software collections, with no inherent executable security risks associated with the file structure itself.
What are the magic bytes for .msa files?
The magic bytes for MSA files are 0E 0F at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .msa file?
To validate a .msa file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (0E 0F) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .msa files?
The primary MIME type for .msa files is application/vnd.msa-disk-image.
Is it safe to open .msa files?
MSA (.msa) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.