Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!gatech!prism!scott From: scott@prism.gatech.EDU (Scott Holt) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: Re: NeXT Software Distribution Message-ID: <2235@hydra.gatech.EDU> Date: 2 Oct 89 22:37:13 GMT References: <32739@cornell.UUCP> Reply-To: scott@prism.gatech.EDU () Distribution: comp Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 41 In article <32739@cornell.UUCP> mlee@cs.cornell.edu (mark lee) writes: > My questions are: > > 1. If there is a password to enable saving, how will FrameMaker > keep NeXT users from telling other users the password? > > 2. How does the new software distribution system proposed by > Steve Jobs work? Will all the programs and data be encrypted > so that a software key is necessary to decrypt them? > > If this is the case, how does NeXT plan on stopping people > from giving other users the software key? > > Any information on these two questions would be greatly appreciated. > In both these cases, the key could be issued based on the hostid of the system. The hostid is unique to each system. It could also be based on the ethernet address, which would again be unique to each system. Hostid based encryption schemes are commonly used throughout the workstation software market. Frame uses a hostid based password in its floating license server for Suns to assure that the license server is run on the correct machine. Of course, nothing can stop the determined hacker who likes making binary patches to code - but then I guess the marketing folks figure that the increased sales brought on from such schemes (one of the big reasons I picked frame for our suns was its demo) more than make up for the loses from a determined few. >Mark Lee, >mlee@awamore.cs.cornell.edu -- This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Scott Holt, Systems Analyst Internet: scott@prism.gatech.edu Georgia Tech BITNET: CCUSESH@GITNVE2 Office of Computing Services 404-894-6168