From: Bill Kelly <billk@...>
Date: 2006-07-18T03:45:55+09:00
Subject: Re: n00b Q: Obfuscation and locking the source

From: "Danno" <dh.evolutionnext@gmail.com>
> 
> James Britt wrote:
>> Danno wrote:
>> > I have been doing some Ruby on and off this year, so I am still a n00b.
>> >  My question is:
>> >
>> > I create a ruby file, and now I want the source protected and
>> > unreadable, how do I go about obfuscating my ruby file so that I can
>> > distribute it as a non-open-source application?
>> >
>>
>> This was discussed on this mailing list not too long ago (and on
>> numerous other occasions in the past).  A search of the list archives
>> should turn up various ideas and techniques to get you started.
>>
> 
> I did, all I found were jokes about how ruby is already obfuscated, and
> many different ways of saying 'no', and that was back in 2004. I don't
> know if that's the answer I want to leave with.  Care to be a little
> more helpful and point me in the right direction?

Had you seen the ZenObfuscate post?
http://blade.nagaokaut.ac.jp/cgi-bin/scat.rb/ruby/ruby-talk/196955

It's a commercial offering and does have a Known Limitations
paragraph that's worth noting.


I'm still trying to sort out how to ship my own commercial
ruby software.  Frankly, if it were possible to ship a game
open source and get paid for it, that would be my preferred
route.

My plan is to do the next best thing, and use the release
model pioneered by id Software.  Initially, parts of the
game are open source, and the core engine is closed source.
Eventually, the entire game is open sourced (usually 
coinciding with the release of the next game in the series.)


So that puts me back in square 1.  How to close parts of
my ruby source, even if for a limited time.

I'm considering ZenObfuscate, but the limitations listed
seemed more severe than I would have hoped.

I may go with some embedded decryption key solution and
hope for the best....  :-}

(Or, since my application is a mix of C and ruby, just
leave the ruby parts open from the beginning.)

Sorry I can't offer much in the way of concrete solutions.
But I'm going to have to come up with something eventually,
myself...


Regards,

Bill