Re: perl source code encryption

On Wed, Apr 30, 2008 at 1:11 AM, Anirban Adhikary
<anirban.adhikary@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Dear list
>  I want to encrypt my perl source code. I am using some modules in my
code.
>  Among them some are downloaded from CPAn as well as some are written by
 my
>  -self. So how to encrypt all perl codes includes the modules.
>
>  Thanks&Regards in advance
>  Anirban Adhikary

Short answer: It is a bad idea and there is no good way.

Long answer: You can encrypt the source if you want, but if you are
going to let a user run your code, perl will have to see unencrypted
code at some point and the user can capture the code at that point.
You could also obfuscate the code, but this has similar problems.  You
can even recover the source code from PAR archives and executables.

If all you are trying to do is add a hurdle for them to jump take a
look at PAR* and PAR::Packer**.  These have the benefit of adding
value in addition to making it harder to see the source.

* http://search.cpan.org/dist/PAR/lib/PAR.pm
** http://search.cpan.org/dist/PAR-Packer/lib/PAR/Packer.pm


-- 
Chas. Owens
wonkden.net
The most im****tant skill a programmer can have is the ability to read.