"David Evennou (Data Masters)" de@data-masters.com wrote:
Hello Members, What are some good common tools for distributing commercial software developed on Linux? At this point, I am interested in tools for Installation and Copy Protection of
Application
Software. I have been using Wise or Installshield for
Windows.
Yeah, and most of those are easily defeatable. ;->
Linux ships with a lot of crypto and other libraries as standard. You should take advantage of them. They are all standards-based, which makes implementation very cheap. E.g., have the software generate a key, then send the key to you, you generate a key for the installation, and it is then used. The key only works for the seed, etc...
In addition to software controls, you should consider a hardware key. That way there is no issue -- the hardware key follows the system. SmartCards are always excellent, because the private key never leaves the device. There are several that work in Linux.
If you're looking for a commercial solution with options for a license server with concurrent license tracking, consider FlexLM. In the high-end enterprise software space, this is commonly used for multi-platform licenses.
Also, I have not taken the plunge in Open Source as I am
not
sure that model will work for me.
If you mean whether the consumer will accept it, you're right.
As both a developer and a sysadmin, I keep in mind that 66% of software is legal. In most cases, sysadmins don't want software that will keep them from working, they want software that will help them track licenses.
Personally, I like to build in some peer-to-peer license checking software. In other words, at any time, a user could go into the "About -> License" on the menu, and the software will tell the user how many other copies they have installed on the network as well as how many are currently running on the local network. That way a sysadmin can find out how many licenses are really required.
I'd do it by dropping both an init script that starts on boot, and then the software (when run) contacts that daemon and says "I'm running." Very simple, very straight-forward, and it helps the sysadmin keep track of what licenses are in use. Because 66% of them will buy the required licenses they need, so you should give them all the tools to find out how many they really do.