dev-cpp-users

[Dev-C++] Questions about porting to windows

[Goran <go...@de...>]

Hi,

I have a Linux app written in C, with GTK, libcurl and sqlite and I want to 
port it to Windows. All libs have versions for Windows, so I made a MSYS/
MinGW enviroment and added GTK, libcurl and sqlite library. But, I have some 
Windows genral programming questions.

1) In Linux, i have ./configure script that adds PACKAGE_DIR gcc define, so I 
can use it from code to open files like this:
sqlite_open(PACKAGE_DIR "/data.db");

But on Windows I will have precompiled executable. Do I must to change paths 
to load them from Windows registry and set up keys during setup, or there is 
some other common procedure?

2) As it will be commercial application, I want to know how can I protect it 
from copying? I want to do serial number check that will be entered on first 
time use of application. But keeping some flag that the app is registered is 
pointless, as everybody can just copy app from host to host.

So I had some ideas to make a algorithm that will check some system thing 
(like processor serial number, HDD serial or something other), and than 
accept only one value of serial number. So the user will have machine ID, and 
than call service center, ask for serial number, enter it and that serial 
will work only on that computer.

Problems: well if algorithm is plain, it can be cracked so everybody will have 
serials ;), than I donow know how to get Hardware data, and what is that 
hardware data that I can use for serial generating.

Do you have some better ideas?


Thank you,
Goran Rakic

Re: [Dev-C++] Questions about porting to windows

[P.T. W. M. <pt...@ea...>]

Goran,

At 08:31 11-12-03, Goran Raki=C4=87 wrote:

>Hi,
>
>2) As it will be commercial application, I want to know how can I protect=
 it
>from copying? I want to do serial number check that will be entered on=
 first
>time use of application. But keeping some flag that the app is registered=
 is
>pointless, as everybody can just copy app from host to host.
>
>So I had some ideas to make a algorithm that will check some system thing
>(like processor serial number, HDD serial or something other), and than
>accept only one value of serial number. So the user will have machine ID,=
 and
>than call service center, ask for serial number, enter it and that serial
>will work only on that computer.
>
>Problems: well if algorithm is plain, it can be cracked so everybody will=
=20
>have
>serials ;), than I donow know how to get Hardware data, and what is that
>hardware data that I can use for serial generating.

Check out Armadillo at http://www.siliconrealms.com.  It will protect your=
=20
software by wrapping it in an encrypted shell, even while it's=20
running!  The PRO version allows you to do hardware locking like you=
 describe.

Patrick
Benchmark Software=20