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


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Scott Holt, Systems Analyst		Internet: scott@prism.gatech.edu
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