Consider GPL/Artistic license instead, and CPAN. The great distribution system and visibility will help you a lot.

You cannot successfully encrypt executable code, since the decryption key must be present for the app to run. That fact is language independent. Rely on copyright.

Shareware is a deprecated form of distribution. It hasn't worked for years, if ever.

After Compline,
Zaxo

I agree. Unless this is a huge killer app. you are going to make little or no money for the effort it will take to implement a distrobution system. Just compare an estimate of the time it will take to the current cost of your time. Even if your currently unemployed, your time could be more efficiently used (ie. in looking for a job).

I think we could better answer your question if you gave us a little more information about the app. you have.

-caedes

How about the 'making perl in an executable binary' idea that I used to hear bantied about a lot? Wouldn't that (admittedly kind of pain in the butt) idea work?

Now...a word about open sourcing this...yes, he could. He would make no money, and to be honest - unless he has created a killer app and gets very lucky - he will be ignored and used and abused for it. I've been through that, so have other people I know. The far majority of users of open source software are A) incredibly cheap, B) downright rude and C) not interested in helping the project improve. It's a small core of people who do the real work, reap no benefits, and make the world a better place.

So...this guy wants to make a few bucks on shareware, all the power to him. Until we can figure out a decent micropayment structure for software, it's the best he can do to feel that his work has paid off.

Kickstart (the disillusioned)

You are asking for us to give you FREE advice on how to help you make money. I recommend that you pay a consultant to help you. I'm sure that you will make the money back right away from the sale of your software.

While we often give out advice that indirectly helps people make money (say by helping them do their job), we tend to see this as helping the community. If you could present your problem in a more community friendly way we might jump to help you.

____________________
Jeremy
I didn't believe in evil until I dated it.

It is very interesting to see how the attitude of this forum contrasts with others like this VBA group where questions about encrypting Excel applications are sympathetically answered, no matter how many times they are asked.

(I did some perlmonks-style advocacy/trolling in reply to one of these questions, suggesting exactly that the source should be free, but sell the support/upgrade/services instead... but this is definitely not the usual answer at that sort of forum. I imagine that the Anonymonk that asked this question was very surprised to get jepri's answer!)

Cheerio!
Osfameron
http://osfameron.perlmonk.org/chickenman/

Have a look at Taking care of business.

Also don't forget that you can still make money off software while providing the source.

/s

Remember, give away the razor; sell the blades. The most common way of doing this in the software world is to give away the engine and sell the data, as in games. iD software pioneered this (Commander Keen) and still does it. (Of course, the line between "program" and "data" gets fuzzier with every release.)

---

We are using here a powerful strategy of synthesis: wishful thinking. -- The Wizard Book

Storing as much as possible in binary format may help. There is also Acme::Bleach but it always breaks my code. The only way I have thought of doing it is with a C or java binary that stores your key and decrpyts and runs your perl code. Still it could easily be decompiled tho and decrpyting at run time would likely be slow. You could try building in a time limited self destruct feature or just make people register before they download.

If your software is any good tho no matter what you do some guy in Russia with time on his hands is gonna crack it.