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Looks really cool, but it's a little above my skill level. Does this mean you could protect your PHP source code if you wanted to compile and then distribute it

Looks really cool, but it's a little above my skill level. Does this mean you could protect your PHP source code if you wanted to compile and then distribute it?

captn3m0 7y ago
Yes, the compile script outputs code via LLVM as a binary. So yeah, you could do it.
- thrusong 7y ago
  Cool! Thanks.
- Piskvorrr 7y ago
  Except the "obfuscation" is a side effect, and not a very strong one at that.
debatem1 7y ago
Please don't do this. It's both ineffective and pisses off those of us who try to produce good bug reports when your obfuscated software misbehaves.
- thrusong 7y ago
  I understand why this is generally not recommended but there are situations where someone like you wouldn't have to submit a bug report, so chill man.
  - debatem1 7y ago
    I do security for a living. Generally speaking, code that A) is obfuscated, B) is written in PHP, and C) I'm told won't have bugs... is exactly the code I'm probably going to need to file bugs against.
- munk-a 7y ago
  This is just a general issue with third party code - C/C++ libraries have always suffered from this weakness. Still, I've worked in places where if we were unable to distribute our library closed source the business wing wouldn't let us distribute it at all - everyone is welcome to their thoughts on copy-left software, but a thing that exists wouldn't have existed if we could only release it open-source (and yes, we even explained how licensing worked to the higher ups)
  - debatem1 7y ago
    I'm confused. This is a compiler. The difference between distributing the output of this and a compiled C or C++ library is basically that this emits machine code that no sane C or C++ compiler would emit today. This does not prevent me from figuring out how the parts you want kept secret work, it only spreads bugs out over more code. My objection is twofold: first, on practical grounds, this makes producing good bug reports harder. That's because there's more code to prove isn't the true source of the problematic behavior. The second is aesthetic. If your goal is to keep your secrets, this does not accomplish it.
    - Piskvorrr 7y ago
      No, such behavior does not make technical sense, any more than bits can be coloured. Yet... https://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23 https://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23

Looks really cool, but it's a little above my skill level. Does this mean you could protect your PHP source code if you wanted to compile and then distribute it?

captn3m0 7y ago

Yes, the compile script outputs code via LLVM as a binary. So yeah, you could do it.

thrusong 7y ago
Cool! Thanks.
Piskvorrr 7y ago
Except the "obfuscation" is a side effect, and not a very strong one at that.

debatem1 7y ago

Please don't do this. It's both ineffective and pisses off those of us who try to produce good bug reports when your obfuscated software misbehaves.

thrusong 7y ago
I understand why this is generally not recommended but there are situations where someone like you wouldn't have to submit a bug report, so chill man.
- debatem1 7y ago
  I do security for a living. Generally speaking, code that A) is obfuscated, B) is written in PHP, and C) I'm told won't have bugs... is exactly the code I'm probably going to need to file bugs against.
munk-a 7y ago
This is just a general issue with third party code - C/C++ libraries have always suffered from this weakness. Still, I've worked in places where if we were unable to distribute our library closed source the business wing wouldn't let us distribute it at all - everyone is welcome to their thoughts on copy-left software, but a thing that exists wouldn't have existed if we could only release it open-source (and yes, we even explained how licensing worked to the higher ups)
- debatem1 7y ago
  I'm confused. This is a compiler. The difference between distributing the output of this and a compiled C or C++ library is basically that this emits machine code that no sane C or C++ compiler would emit today. This does not prevent me from figuring out how the parts you want kept secret work, it only spreads bugs out over more code. My objection is twofold: first, on practical grounds, this makes producing good bug reports harder. That's because there's more code to prove isn't the true source of the problematic behavior. The second is aesthetic. If your goal is to keep your secrets, this does not accomplish it.
  - Piskvorrr 7y ago
    No, such behavior does not make technical sense, any more than bits can be coloured. Yet... https://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23 https://ansuz.sooke.bc.ca/entry/23