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i have a peculiar question. Iam developing a php GTK2 desktop application, and my purpose is to hide the source code from the client, to whom i will handle the desktop application (deploy in his system), once it is completed.

Our motto is to enable the client to run the application, without the need for a browser.

I have heard about tools like ioncube encoder that can encrypt the php source code. I want the same functionality to be achieved with the GTK application.

Others must not be able to see the source code. How can this be achieved ?

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  • Was your client aware of that? (receiving de-open-sourced software, which costs extra) Commented Oct 13, 2010 at 9:27
  • We are developing this project as our own, and as such, there is no client now. Once the project is completed, we go to the clients' location and describe him the features. If he is interested, then we will sell him. The cost would be very less though at the initial stage. But the encoding software costs are not kwown to the client. Commented Oct 15, 2010 at 13:05

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If you want to go the paid for route, ioncube seems good. I've found a nice article that explains this and gives you some options - it seems like Zend has the best solution if you go by price.

http://www.zubrag.com/articles/php-source-code-encoders-and-protectors.php

I hope this helps you.

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I have never heard of a good free solution for this.

There is a couple of vendors providing tools to do this. By googling I found this page that presents different solutions:

http://www.seocompany.ca/software/free-encryption-software.html

I think the Alladin usb key encryption system is one of the most robust one, but not free.

And you can also make a copy of your code and remove all comments, use only non-explicit variable names etc, so that even if your customer breaks the encryption, it would still be hard to understand the code...

Hope this helps!

P

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just a note: what Piero talks about in the end is usually called "obfuscation", I believe there are tools for it.
Is it possible to develop the project as a regular php web application, and then open the site's link in the GTK window, without revealing the site's link? That might fool the client. What do you say guys ?
If it is possible, i am willing to go ahead with this approach, as it is a regular development and takes less time. Please help.

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