Re: running php-gtk app securely - a suggestion

On Thursday 05 October 2006 20:55, kksou wrote: > > A number of my friends have been very hesistant using php-gtk2 for 2 main > reasons: > 1) lack of a good compiler (hence protection of their codes) Have you seen the Ioncube Encoder? http://www.ioncube.com I've used it with great success for a PHP-GTK1 app. > 2) (related to 1) distributing php-gtk applications Combine the DLLs and the encoded sources into a .../Program Files/??? directory and use the windows NSIS installer http://nsis.sf.net > One method which I have thought of recently is as follows: > 1) All php-gtk scripts are stored remotely on a server > 2) Wrote a simple exe that is stored on client machine. Let's call this the > launcher. > 3) When user double-click the launcher, it will > - create a temporary folder > - download all php-scripts into the temp folder > - start the php-gtk app > - once the app starts, delete all php scripts and the folder Sounds hackish and insecure. (What's to stop people from directly accessing your scripts online?) > Some notes: > - The launcher can be written in VB, VC, Java or anything that can produce a > exe. > - User has no idea where the files are downloaded from > - The exe launcher is extremely simple - just a couple of lines to download > the file from remote server and save it on local machine. > - The location of the temp folder can be random and anywhere you like > - The moment the launcher detects that the php-gtk app is up and running, it > deletes the temp folder and all the downloaded > - If one is worried that user would "unerase" your files, there are many > tools out there that can safely erase files away > - The php scripts are not huge. So downloading time is not a concern. > (Besides, this is only during start-up time.) One can even zip scripts on > the server side, and unzip them on the client side before running the app. > - Of course the above assumes a LAN or broadband environment Yep. Hackish and insecure. Take a look at the ioncube encoder... -Ben -- "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." - XEROX PARC slogan, circa 1978