SourceGuardian Pro 2.0 (formerly PHPGuardian)

Keywords:

PHP, PHP code, code protection, source, bytecode encryption, zend optimizer, md5 name encryption, obfuscator, source protection

Overview

SourceGuardian for PHP is a Windows application that provides PHP developers with a means to protect their source code and distribute their scripts as if they were executables. This opportunity ensures you copyright protection of your code so no one can just "copy and paste" it.

Some people adhere to the position that custom software developers ought to supply their customers with source code. Well, availability of such source encryption applications is the obvious contradiction to this statement...

• The application includes several important features:
  Ability to limit the use of scripts to one IP address or domain name (if you’re distributing your project to a single web site)
• Ability to build in your scripts a trial restriction
• You can add a customizable banner or message to all of your scripts.
• You can leave some files (for example, configuration or templates) un-encrypted, to let your customers modify what they may modify.

Installation

Setup file size: 2,686.2 Kb.
Installation is very simple, only requests for a destination directory.

Process description

In 2 sec I encrypted 29 files. Their size has decreased and this has pleasantly surprised me.

Before you start applying some magic to your files (a sequence of intuitively understandable steps), you should check if you have a correct configuration file for your version of PHP and operation system. You can always find the necessary file, including all latest versions of PHP (it is called ixed and has *.pxp extension) on the SourceGuardian web site, under /ixed directory. You should have this file in a separate /ixed directory in every project you’re going to encrypt. It’s like .htaccess for a root directory of your web site. However, there is a way to spread the action of SourceGuardian over the whole web server by configuration of php.ini file.

SourceGuardian overwrites the old source files with their encrypted equivalents and always warns you about it.

I opened the files after encrypting, and yes, honestly – they did look like a piece of a puzzle. Attempting to run one of them though turned to be unlucky. The program displayed a message “PHP script c:\mine\newmig\index.php is protected by SourceGuardian and requires file ixed.win.4.3.4.pxp.” I made sure that I downloaded the necessary file and put it into the appropriate directory, but unfortunately I failed to run the script anyway.
Then I modified php.ini and restarted Apache, and it finally helped.

Output format

Output format remains the same as it was before encryption. Includes *.php, *.php3, *.php4 and *.inc extensions. It’s a pity it doesn’t work with *.html extensions. I often name my templates as *.html, because our designers feel themselves at ease opening these templates in their HTML editors and not having problems with alien (for them) types of files.

A SourceGuardian project is saved in its native file format.
A considerable flaw of the issued files is that they currently (as the vendor claims) do not work under Apache 2.

Interface, wizards, help files

In the setup package you will find a PDF document with a complete guide to the software, from Quick Start to a comprehensive description of its features with screenshots.

Also there is a standard readme file there, and a short file called troubleshooter.

Strange thing – when attempting to call for a help file, the application doesn’t find it, though the file is definitely included into the distribution. Seems like they didn’t considered some path problems after installation… The help file actually copies the above PDF document, so nothing interesting. At least, everything’s explained thoroughly, and I don’t think that someone can sit before the application and wonder what to do next.

My personal conclusion

Optimal for developers that can this way or other access PHP settings on the server they make their projects for. Works stably, doesn’t require much installation and configuration.
Well Done!

Competitors

Zend Optimizer, PHP Code Lock, ionCube

Prices, where to buy, URL
www.sourceguardian.com
email: sales@sourceguardian.com
Trial: free, 14 days (doesn't let to compile sources, includes SG banner in each script, and all the encrypted scripts expire in 14 days.
Price: $249

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