hide python code !

[enigmadude]

I'm pretty sure that just because someone is familiar with the PGP
sources, for example, doesn't mean that they have the necessary keys to
access other people's data across the internet. Also, I'm pretty sure I
know how a prison door lock works, but if I'm behind bars and don't
have the key, I'm still screwed.

I believe the same things applies here. Just because you can see the
import code, depending upon what it does, if it requires (for example)
a key in order to decrypt the binary data before the modules can be
loaded, then no matter how much you understand the import code, the
data itself (that is the binary encrypted modules) is still useless to
you.

In any case, everyone is correct in that any program can be reverse
engineered, just like any vehicle can be car-jacked. The point is to
have an at least rudimentary deterrent that makes it not worth their
while. Someone who's smart enough to crack a scheme like this is
probably a smarter programmer than the person who wrote the code in the
first place, and so has no need to be stealing newbie's code.

In any case, I prefer that people get over their greed and paranoia and
just keep Python code open. I agree with most people here. I'm not an
expert programmer, and many people I know aren't either, but for some
reason the whole "intellectual property" boogeyman keeps making
programmers believe that they have to hide even every example of a
linked list or sort function. Geez. Just keep the sources open people.

Slawomir Nowaczyk wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Aug 2006 17:35:27 -0700
> enigmadude <enigmadude at rock.com> wrote:
>
> #> 2. I've never done this, but you might be able to encrypt or otherwise
> #> turn you modules into binary form, and then use a clever import
> #> hook.
>
> Please observe that whatever the "clever import hook" is, it actually
> needs to know the way to *decrypt* the module (secret key or
> whatever). It means that if somebody decompiles the importing code, he
> can just as well decompile the "hidden" one.
>
> --
>  Best wishes,
>    Slawomir Nowaczyk
>      ( Slawomir.Nowaczyk at cs.lth.se )
>
> Children are natural mimics, who act like their parents despite
> every effort to teach them good manners.