.NET + Signing + Securing + Installing, what do I need?

[NewsArchive]

Hi All,

I have an older version of SetupBuilder because I was updating it and not
using it at all. I also have an older version of Armadillo/whatever the
renamed it to from Silicon Realms I believe. I have a customer that has
some .NET apps that he wants me to protect and create an installer for, and
put on a web site. What do I need to do and buy? :D

Thanks tons,
Jack T.

[NewsArchive]

Hi Jack,

> I have an older version of SetupBuilder because I was updating it and not
> using it at all. I also have an older version of Armadillo/whatever the
> renamed it to from Silicon Realms I believe. I have a customer that has
> some .NET apps that he wants me to protect and create an installer for,
> and put on a web site. What do I need to do and buy? :D

SetupBuilder 7 Developer Edition allows to deploy .NET applications. A
Comodo code-signing certificate can be used to sign the installer/uninstall
and application files (the above Developer Edition license gives access to
discounted original Comodo certificates, e.g. a 3-year certificate for $200
instead of $500). So your customer only needs a Developer Edition license
and a Comodo code-sign certificate and he is ready to go <g>

The following is very important (read before ordering a Comodo certificate!)

http://www.lindersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8279
http://www.beachbunnysoftware.com/webinar/CodeSign.pdf
http://www.lindersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9498

Armadillo experts have to answer the Armadillo question <g> But as I
understand it, Armadillo can only protect Win32 and Win64 applications.

Friedrich

[NewsArchive]

I don't use the latest version, so am hardly "expert".

This is from the newest help file
(http://www.siliconrealms.com/download/HelpFiles.zip )

-----------------
..NET programs are designed to operate together easily, and use a standard
interpreted language. Because of this, they are even more difficult to
protect than non-.NET ("unmanaged") programs.

SoftwarePassport/Armadillo cannot directly protect .NET programs at present,
and there are no immediate plans to add that support. If you understand that
limitation, but still want to use SoftwarePassport/Armadillo for licensing
purposes, it can be done. You'll need to make an "unmanaged" DLL (i.e. a
non-.NET DLL), which you can protect with SoftwarePassport/Armadillo, and
somehow make your .NET program dependent on that DLL, so that it cannot run
without it. Then just use the licensing portion of
SoftwarePassport/Armadillo normally, for that DLL.

Note: If the above approach does not work, you can try the one below.

A known issue with the above approach is that programs that are dependent
on protected, unmanaged DLLs will sometimes hang while starting up. This
problem is triggered by SoftwarePassport/Armadillo trying to use the
Internet Explorer components (WININET.DLL) to obtain a key from Digital
River's licensing server (needed for the buy-before-you-try model) when the
protected DLLs are not fully loaded. Microsoft does not allow programs to
access any IE components until the protected DLLs are fully loaded.

To work around this issue, you can restructure your .NET program so that
the first thing that runs is a launcher EXE, which needs to be written in
unmanaged code and protected with SoftwarePassport/Amadillo. The launcher
should handle the key injection and then launch the main EXE. (An EXE loads
differently than a DLL, and therefore does not have the restriction noted
here for DLLs.)
------------------

> Hi Jack,
>

> Armadillo experts have to answer the Armadillo question <g> But as I
> understand it, Armadillo can only protect Win32 and Win64 applications.
>
> Friedrich
>

Jane Fleming

[NewsArchive]

> Armadillo experts have to answer the Armadillo question <g> But as I
> understand it, Armadillo can only protect Win32 and Win64 applications.

I just figured would do any .exe. I just need something that can enable
time-out trial versions etc. and not allow everyone to copy it to the world.
I guess 'll have to look around.

Thanks,
Jack T.