what are the most popular building and packaging tools for python ??

[Neil Benn]

Alex Martelli wrote:

> <snip>
>
>Of course, there _are_ still, today, applications which can't assume the
>net is available and must still offer full functionality no matter what.
>They're fewer and fewer, thanks be, as connectivity spreads -- games
>accrue multiplayer online-play features that players are eager for,
>financial programs require access to updated exchange rates or stock
>levels, and so on.  If you do need to sell applications which have full
>functionality without net access, you may as well resign yourself: you
>will never be truly safe, alas.
>
>  
>
<snip>
Hello,

          Yes of course you're completely correct - you can't make 
anything totally secure - I'm talking of a handheld app so I can't 
assume connectivity always.  However I can make it more difficult than 
it needs to be to make illegal copies of the kit, consider this example :

==

No Obfuscation or Licence manager

Copy it - simply copy it onto a new handheld
Source code - decompile it

No Obfuscation and Licence Manager

Copy it - get help to break the licence manager but getting the source 
code off, reading the source code and use that to help discover what 
you're looking for
Source code - decompile it

With Obfuscation and Licence manager

Copy it - discover how the licence manager works which will normally 
have three levels of protection - Secrecy, mathematical managling and an 
identification code
Source code - copy off the byte code, decompile it get a function that 
uses /a/ for a class /aa /for another method /aaaaaaaaaaa /for another 
variable, VoteGeorgeBushOff for an interface (did you liek the 
subliminal message!!).  Yes you can deobfuscate that by working out what 
went on but its not gonna be easy and you may as well not bother.

==

    So while I certainly agree that its impossible to make code safe, 
the same way its impossible to stop a determined person kicking my front 
door down.  It is better to put obstacles in the way to increase the 
pain barrier to stopping it.  Cracking XP/Doom3/The Sims is done all the 
time - this isn't a 10K unit sale (if it becomes that I'll host a python 
party in the carribean!!) more like a <100 unit sale. 

    In general, you could also get the handheld if connected to 
T'Internet (British people may get that!!) to dial home with it's serial 
number every so often just so I can check that it's still licenced 
correctly.

    Once again, I know this isn't fool proof but to mean I'm comparing 
it against house security - not putting a lock on the front door is 
madness; then you need to work out how dangerous your area is and put 
appropiate security around it but it's never gonna be unbreakable!!!

Cheers,

Neil

-- 

Neil Benn
Senior Automation Engineer
Cenix BioScience
BioInnovations Zentrum
Tatzberg 47
D-01307
Dresden
Germany

Tel : +49 (0)351 4173 154
e-mail : benn at cenix-bioscience.com
Cenix Website : http://www.cenix-bioscience.com