[CentOS] O.T. Commerializing Applications

"David Evennou (Data Masters)" <de at 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.


-- 
Bryan J. Smith     Professional, Technical Annoyance                      b.j.smith at ieee.org      http://thebs413.blogspot.com
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