Where can I get vBB v2 beta2

[Nicholas Brown]

Originally posted by pedro_gb
Still not hard to look at the code and figure out how its done, though. Nicholas: You are obviously kidding.

oops! I forgot to mention what * meant!!!


*picture MAY have been slightly doctor'd

[PeF]

As soon as some license code will be included in files it won't do the job as wished. It can be easily removed, hacked. I would think of a way where you install vB onto a server and during a upgrade process you have to click on a link which will bring you to a secure web site. You'll be prompted for the license number and the password as given. After a validation you may download some file, let's say license.dat, and finish the installation process. Other license.dat with the same "ID" would be refused by server and you won't be able to continue. I would include a check for license.dat file in the install / upgrade script. If exists and corresponds to the entry in some license db you may continue unless...

[pedro_gb]

Naw. In my opinion, there's simply NO way to ever do it, unless some part of the code comes compiled (is that possible with PHP?).

Oh, just a question, are you allowed to install a vB (let's say, password protected) to do testing, installing hacks etc. before you apply it to the "main" one? Just so you are sure it won't muck anything up...

[Nicholas Brown]

Originally posted by pedro_gb
Oh, just a question, are you allowed to install a vB (let's say, password protected) to do testing, installing hacks etc. before you apply it to the "main" one? Just so you are sure it won't muck anything up...

yep

[Zecherieh]

Originally posted by pedro_gb
Naw. In my opinion, there's simply NO way to ever do it, unless some part of the code comes compiled (is that possible with PHP?).

Oh, just a question, are you allowed to install a vB (let's say, password protected) to do testing, installing hacks etc. before you apply it to the "main" one? Just so you are sure it won't muck anything up...

Yes - most have a test board and nobody has a prob with that that I have ever heard of.

[Mafukie]

If they do have VB call home I will hack my board and remove it, If they think my board is pirated email me for my lisence info.

[MattR]

Originally posted by pedro_gb
Naw. In my opinion, there's simply NO way to ever do it, unless some part of the code comes compiled (is that possible with PHP?).

The "Zend Encoder" allows you to release source code in an optimized, binary format. Jelsoft could do this, but that would be the end to hacks.

http://www.zend.com/store/products/zend-encoder.php

[pedro_gb]

That just sounds really cool! Obviously, Jelsoft would lose a lot of vBulletin users if they compiled a lot of it, but, hey, they don't have to compile everything! Just compile something that is absolutely essential, but is unlikely to ever be changed (hacks) or re-coded (some very important but "unique" function"), and in that file contact Jelsoft saying "vBulletin is being installed in DOMAIN - IP address: 123.123.123.123 etc.". That would be quite good! Just make sure it doesn't slow the system down!

[MattR]

Originally posted by pedro_gb
That just sounds really cool! Obviously, Jelsoft would lose a lot of vBulletin users if they compiled a lot of it, but, hey, they don't have to compile everything! Just compile something that is absolutely essential, but is unlikely to ever be changed (hacks) or re-coded (some very important but "unique" function"), and in that file contact Jelsoft saying "vBulletin is being installed in DOMAIN - IP address: 123.123.123.123 etc.". That would be quite good! Just make sure it doesn't slow the system down!

I was thinking about that -- but really the cat is "out of the bag" as it were -- the code is pretty distributed so far -- releasing a compiled version wouldn't stop the piracy, but I'm sure it could lessen it.

You'd know which sites didn't send a signal back to Jelsoft saying they had upgraded. Maybe make it into the final release of 2.0 -- that way anyone using 2.0 would have to have the compiled version and therefore would send out a signal upon install?

Yeah, compile the install scripts -- it'd be pretty difficult to reverse-engineer the SQL tables without the install.php file.

I think it would be hard to pin down a function (or a set of functions) that are 100% vital and also NOT open to hacking – I know with 1.1.X just about every piece of code was hacked and to lose any of that “functionality” would cause vB to lose quite a bit of its appeal.

Still, Jelsoft has to make a buck and I’d understand if they decided to close the source.. I’d feel bad about it but I’m sure they wouldn’t lose too many customers (what are the alternatives to vB really that are of the same quality / dedication that Jelsoft and the community provides?) if they made the switch.

[MattR]

The encoder requires the Zend Optimizer to read the code which would limit it to:
PHP 4.0.3 and above, Linux (glibc 2.1 and libc5), Sparc Solaris 2.6 / 7 / 8, FreeBSD 3.4 / 4.0, Windows® NT 4.0 / 2000, and Apache 1.3.x.

So, unless a site fit that profile they couldn't use the encoded stuff.

[pedro_gb]

Yeah, I was looking at that as well. The compiler also costs about $2500 and might be quite pointless considering the requirements. Maybe it'll just be "open-source" for a while. (I don't mean open-source as in Linux! )

[Stallion]

The compiler would only cost Jelsoft, not you guys...

One idea might be to compile 90% of the control panel, and perhaps put a "one-install-only" limitation in it. The CP isn't often hacked, and vB wouldn't be what it is w/o the plethora of admin options.

The only reason this won't happen is the high system requirements. I don't have those met on any of my servers, and we can't expect every host in the world to upgrade with vB 2.1.

[chrispadfield]

is it no possible to make it possible that every time the control panel is used, it checks with the the VB servers for something before it will work? not sure how this can be done without having the login script of the control panel on the vb servers for example i don't know.

One other thing is the insecurity in the download the software system. I know of someone who did something like this:

1. An email address is associated with an account and perhaps a pin code.
2. You go to site. Type in email.
3. The script sends you the access code. You then log in. (you must be using the same browser, ip, etc as when you requested it).
4. You then get the software. After 5 mins it times out.

Why?

Because then people can't just post on a newsgroup say
"email: [email protected] and pass $%Y^43334 and give everyone in the world acccess. It only works with one email address. This would perhaps help.

[chrispadfield]

just read Stallion's post...

how about Compile the index.php page for the control panel. Part of this page checks with vb.com for account number. If the account is valid it continues if not it does not. As it is compiled this section cannot be removed by a hacker and is therefore foolproof (probably too strong a word!). VB.com then logs all requests using an account nubmer, if it finds two installations of vb using same id number is just bans the number and that is it, no more control pannel access.

The problem is requiring Zend, i know my server does not have this so a lot of people are going to not use it. This is probably to prohibitive a solution.

[MattR]

Well, you'd have to compile more than just index.php -- you can easily use the other files w/o it. You'd have to compile enough to cripple the use if you decided to just ignore them.

But yeah, I posted the requirements above to illustrate that it would be too prohibitive to require everyone to use PHP 4.0.3 or higher.

That's why I was thinking maybe compile the install scripts (template and DB install). Without those you're dead in the water and you can set it up so that it queries Jelsoft's DB somewhere and if you've paid / use the correct keys and such it will let you in (and you can say "only allow one install from this account" and then alter the PHP file / DB so that it will never work again without Jelsoft recompiling it / activating on the server end.

As long as the user doesn't try and copy the DB over somewhere else it would stop them from giving the PHP code away... You could even generate a key file that encrypts the domain for the web site in it (say the admin files) so that they're only useable on the current domain. You can't move them to xyz.com and get them to work.

Anyways this is probably academic because of the requirements of the Zend Optimizer -- the lost revenues from cutting of a large number of vB users (those with shared hosts who might not have 4.0.3 and the Optimizer installed) would far outweigh the lost revenues from (suspected) piracy.