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From: Terry Lambert <terry@lambert.org>
Message-Id: <199609250118.SAA05124@phaeton.artisoft.com>
Subject: Re: Licensing Software
To: jhs@FreeBSD.org
Date: Tue, 24 Sep 1996 18:18:03 -0700 (MST)
Cc: current@FreeBSD.org, serious@FreeBSD.org, commercial@FreeBSD.org
In-Reply-To: <199609250013.CAA02049@vector.jhs.no_domain> from "Julian H. Stacey" at Sep 25, 96 02:13:01 am
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> I either need to :
> - Develop alone, hooks for such things as 
> 	- constructing machine IDs (from poking around the system)
> 	- user count (for single workstation or multi user server pricing)
> 	- link crippled-write, time limited, demo versions
> 	- make must be minimal hastle to authors, requiring no change to 
> 	- sources, just to Link flags
> 	- non availability to me (as distributor) of source,
> 	  but availability of .o files
> - Or I can maybe develop a mechanism with other interested commercial sellers,
>   so that FreeBSD would have some generic mechanism, & maybe unique 
>   product & system keys.
> 
> - Or I can even buy in such a solution if one's available ?
> 
> I've read `Sun Expert' in the past, with horror stories of Sun lock managers
> across nets, & I am not interested in any net strategies,
> this will be local to the box.
> 
> I'm not into academic elegant lots-of-effort solutions,
> I'm after a cheap dirty quick solution, I don't want to spend much
> time on this, my budgeted work time on this is limited,
> (& I'd prefer to spend my free on public source, not licence stuff)


Machine ID:	32 bit value
		use network tuple
		use ifconfig interface
		attempt to subvert via kernel hacking will damage ifconfig

User count:	Require license tracking
		use license manager
		FLEX/LM is suggested

Demo version:	Use license class
		use license manager which supports class reporting
		FLEX/LM is suggested

Source changes:	Just leave the license manager in all the time
		No additional changes to sources required

Key sourcing:	Only the vendor can generate valid keys
		don't want {distributor|other} making keys
		Already supported in most LM software

Is what I'd suggest.


					Terry Lambert
					terry@lambert.org
---
Any opinions in this posting are my own and not those of my present
or previous employers.