can a python file be made to run in a way that is not humanly readable?

[birddseedd]

can a python file be made to run in a way that is not humanly readable? a py file can be ran from command line. but it can also be opened in ide. this is all i know. but I would need to make it so customers can not just read the source code.

[DougieLawson]

Not possible. Even the *.pyc files can be decoded back to source code.

[birddseedd]

Not possible. Even the *.pyc files can be decoded back to source code.

well that kinda blows. what about c? does that compile into an executable file?

[DougieLawson]

C/C++ is a compiled language. Those things aren't 100% secure. We spent lots of time and money reverse engineering compiled languages for YR2K so it's a common skill.

What is so special about your code?

[birddseedd]

its a product i want to sell. but if they can easily get the code they can duplicate it and drag me into a huge legal battle

[jamesh]

its a product i want to sell. but if they can easily get the code they can duplicate it and drag me into a huge legal battle

Intrigued by the legal battle comment. If it's your code, why would you get dragged in to a legal battle?

That said, most people cannot decompile C code, and there are ways of writing it that make it more difficult to understand (actually, that's most C code anyway)

[W. H. Heydt]

its a product i want to sell. but if they can easily get the code they can duplicate it and drag me into a huge legal battle

You can only be dragged into a big legal battle if your code does something illegal, or you have violated someone else's copyright, patent, or license terms in writing your code.

On the other hand, if you copyright *your* code and sell it with a suitable license, you can drag *them* into a huge legal battle if they do something with your code that violates the license you put it under.

All of that said, I hope you realize that everything you write is dependent on the work of other people...unless you started with a pile of sand and wrote all of your own tools from first principles. (And even then, both hardware and software will be influenced by your own prior knowledge.)

[mattmiller]

Easy solution - rewrite it in Python 3 with a few decorators and async calls and that'l make it unreadable!

Sorry - old time Python2er having a bad day with Python3 today

In all seriousness, there have been many requests like this over the years and without going to tremendous lengths like creating encrypted partitions, its not worth trying to hide python code.

Compliled C/C++ etc are intrinsically much harder to reverse engineer and most people don't go to trouble of trying to reverse engineer them

The hackers will always be able to do this (attack always beats defence eventually)

[birddseedd]

its a product i want to sell. but if they can easily get the code they can duplicate it and drag me into a huge legal battle

Intrigued by the legal battle comment. If it's your code, why would you get dragged in to a legal battle?

That said, most people cannot decompile C code, and there are ways of writing it that make it more difficult to understand (actually, that's most C code anyway)

it would take a civil court to get them to stop selling my code/product and get repreations(sp) from them.

[birddseedd]

Easy solution - rewrite it in Python 3 with a few decorators and async calls and that'l make it unreadable!

Sorry - old time Python2er having a bad day with Python3 today

In all seriousness, there have been many requests like this over the years and without going to tremendous lengths like creating encrypted partitions, its not worth trying to hide python code.

Compliled C/C++ etc are intrinsically much harder to reverse engineer and most people don't go to trouble of trying to reverse engineer them

The hackers will always be able to do this (attack always beats defence eventually)

looking for a c++ide now.

[mfa298]

That said, most people cannot decompile C code, and there are ways of writing it that make it more difficult to understand (actually, that's most C code anyway)

Better yet use Perl, that can be really unreadable! (look for some of the Obfuscated perl contests)

its a product i want to sell. but if they can easily get the code they can duplicate it and drag me into a huge legal battle

First off maybe determine the risk of someone actually doing that vs the cost of trying to defeat what might be a non threat. Or look at other ways of making money from your code (e.e. get them to pay for support rather than paying for the code).

[birddseedd]

That said, most people cannot decompile C code, and there are ways of writing it that make it more difficult to understand (actually, that's most C code anyway)

Better yet use Perl, that can be really unreadable! (look for some of the Obfuscated perl contests)

its a product i want to sell. but if they can easily get the code they can duplicate it and drag me into a huge legal battle

First off maybe determine the risk of someone actually doing that vs the cost of trying to defeat what might be a non threat. Or look at other ways of making money from your code (e.e. get them to pay for support rather than paying for the code).

perl would be easier for a noob?

[Ernst]

That said, most people cannot decompile C code, and there are ways of writing it that make it more difficult to understand (actually, that's most C code anyway)

Better yet use Perl, that can be really unreadable! (look for some of the Obfuscated perl contests)

its a product i want to sell. but if they can easily get the code they can duplicate it and drag me into a huge legal battle

First off maybe determine the risk of someone actually doing that vs the cost of trying to defeat what might be a non threat. Or look at other ways of making money from your code (e.e. get them to pay for support rather than paying for the code).

perl would be easier for a noob?

No.

[birddseedd]

Better yet use Perl, that can be really unreadable! (look for some of the Obfuscated perl contests)



First off maybe determine the risk of someone actually doing that vs the cost of trying to defeat what might be a non threat. Or look at other ways of making money from your code (e.e. get them to pay for support rather than paying for the code).

perl would be easier for a noob?

No.

lol. doesn't get any more straightforward than that.
i looked at wiringpi for a c++library. seems it only allows 1 pwm pin. am I correct? that seems like a pretty big limitation. I need at least 2 motors

[hortimech]

i looked at wiringpi for a c++library. seems it only allows 1 pwm pin. am I correct? that seems like a pretty big limitation. I need at least 2 motors

There's another problem, if you use code from another project and that program has a GPL license, you will also have to provide the source code for your project.

[SteveSpencer]

Pigpiod does multiple PWM, doesn't it?
And you use it as is, through a server interface, so as I understand it, you aren't obliged to supply the source (IANAL applies) for your client, just as using TCP/IP doesn't oblige you to provide the source for the network layer.
Of course, if you're using other libraries directly in your code, that may well change things.