From: Christopher Browne <cbbrowne@...>
Date: 2002-04-15T05:21:10+09:00
Subject: Re: crypting ruby source

The world rejoiced as web2ed@yahoo.com (Edward Wilson) wrote:
> Ludo <coquelle@enib.fr> wrote in message news:<3CB31298.13A44B26@enib.fr>...
>> Hi,
>> Is there anybody aware of a method to crypt the sources of ruby software
>> please ?
>> 
>> I'm looking for a method to hide the code.
>> I've tryed to compile this ruby scripts, but as it is somewhat
>> complicated that didn't matched.
>
> This would be a great addition for Ruby.  Both Oracle and ColdFusion
> have one way encryption.  The runtimes both handle the encrypted
> source.  One has to save a copy of their original source because the
> encryption is *one way*.
>
> The reasons for doing this are obvious, $$.  You want to distribute
> your work without anyone learning your secrets.  I think more folks
> would use Ruby if it had this feature.

Lots of people use Perl, and aside from waggish comments about
"ordinary source is unreadable!" that would mostly reflect bad coding,
the lack of "formal obfuscation" certainly doesn't seem to have
hindered its use.

If the computer is able to "decrypt" the code to the point of
executing it, it's more than likely that there's enough "stuff" there
to get a somewhat meaningful disassembly.  That is what seems to have
happened with Java; people distribute "jars," and the disassemblers
produce not incredibly horrid Java code.

And keep in mind: The dishonest customers that would use the code
illicitly and not pay for it aren't people you want to do business
with, anyways.

In a sense, there's arguably "no loss" if someone dishonest illegally
copies some software:

-> On the one hand, they're dishonest "scum," and you'd not be
   interested in their money anyways;

-> On the other hand, people that are using your code "for free"
   aren't paying anything to your competitors, either.  It hurts your
   competitors as much as it hurts you, which isn't all bad :-).

You need to consider whether the cost of inconveniencing your honest,
_paying_ customers outweighs the "benefits."  The answers are less
obvious than they may seem at first thought...
-- 
(reverse (concatenate 'string "gro.mca@" "enworbbc"))
http://www3.sympatico.ca/cbbrowne/languages.html
There are no "civil aviation for  dummies" books out there and most of
you would probably  be scared and spend a lot of  your time looking up
if there was one. :-) -- Jordan Hubbard in c.u.b.f.m