Learn how to protect your Intellectual Property in this free AHK webinar

[Joe Glines]

Thank you Joe for this and all your other YT tutorials. *****

You Bet! Glad to be of help!

[Joe Glines]

Which link? I posted many links...

[freespacing]

your developed script does not have to remain Open Source

As of Jan 2020, does anyone know if there a good pathway to obfuscate and/or encrypt source code in compiled scripts?
Last time I looked, about a year ago, I spent three days chasing black cats down blind alleys.

Asking about something that can work with large scripts, with many thousands of lines, lots of include files, tons of functions.

[SOTE]

your developed script does not have to remain Open Source

As of Jan 2020, does anyone know if there a good pathway to obfuscate and/or encrypt source code in compiled scripts?
Last time I looked, about a year ago, I spent three days chasing black cats down blind alleys.

Asking about something that can work with large scripts, with many thousands of lines, lots of include files, tons of functions.

I don't quite understand how you have never found an answer to that question, when a search for encrypt or obfuscate will turn up lots of posts on the subject. Probably the latest help topic where the subject was explored is here (and lists some protection options)-
https://www.autohotkey.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=69724
(AHK Script Encryption)

Long story made shorter, interpreted programming languages like AutoHotkey and those using bytecode (AutoIt, Java, JavaScript, Python, PHP, PowerShell, C#, Lua, etc...) are going to have a much more harder time with protection than totally compiled languages (like C/C++, Pascal, Go, Swift, etc...). The interpreter must be able to "see" your script in order to execute it. However, even if you used a compiled language, there are still ways and many tools out there to edit/patch/crack/reverse engineer it from machine code, to Assembly language, and then pseudo C code. The expectation to create a hackerproof program is unrealistic.

Be that as it may, it hasn't stopped programmers and companies from releasing their programs and doing business, so sometimes people are being more worried about the imaginary loss of profits than they should. This is because probably 95% of users have no idea about reverse engineering and cracking, don't want to waste their time on such, or are law-abiding types. Of the probable 5% that remains, most likely have only a passing interest or limited knowledge and are easily deterred with basic protections (some of those protections are talked about in the link provided). And of the remaining willing to spend lots of time, are very knowledgeable, or are criminals, no matter what software protection that is used, it's not going to stop them from eventually cracking it (to include spending weeks or months trying).

Thus your best alternate route (outside of encryption and obfuscation) is legal protection, which is what Joe Glines webinar is about. Suggest viewing it, if you haven't already, very informative videos.

[freespacing]

Hi @SOTE
Thank you for your detailed reply, full of interesting thoughts about reflexions.

a search for encrypt or obfuscate will turn up lots of posts on the subject.

Of course I found lots of threads at the time, that's what I meant in my OP by

I spent three days chasing black cats down blind alleys.

Some of these solutions worked only for small files; or required that you compile an alternate version of AHK with an old version of Visual Studio that didn't play well with mine; or that you pepper your script with directives — just not doable for a really large project.

Looking at my notes from the time, some of the signposts on that road were MPress, YuHei, HotKeyIt, AHK Dynamic Obfuscator, Obfuscator, FeiYue… but there were more.

Here is the TL;DR I wrote for myself when I abandonned:

1. Obfuscate the code before compiling.

2. Don't try to convert the EXE using tools like MPress: (i) false virus warnings, (ii) published decompiling tools

3. Obfuscation: no success for the large script with the YuHei tool, (ii) trying Autohotkey-Obfuscator-L which is a complex project.

4. Encryption at compilation time: apart from the MPress comment above, there is a tool by HotKeyIt that runs on the branch of AHK calls AHK_H and which requires compiling the AHK_L source code in Visual Studio 2015 (didn't manage it), providing an encryption password.

The thread you supplied is more recent: thank you very much, I will look at it. The latest in obfuscation / encryption: that's exactly what I was looking for.
Cheers.

[Joe Glines]

Steven Thrasher (My IP Lawyer that was featured in the webinar) did a podcast with Mike Kim. Go here and listen to #222.

A lot of the same content as in our webinar. Just thought y'all might want to listen for a refresher.
Joe

[alfred0809]

doesnt only ahk itself have to stay open-source? where does it say anything about scripts written for ahk having to be open-source?

[BoBo]

doesnt only ahk itself have to stay open-source? where does it say anything about scripts written for ahk having to be open-source?

That same old story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source
If you want rock-solid legal advice I'd recommend getting in touch with a specialized lawyer.

[Joe Glines]

doesnt only ahk itself have to stay open-source? where does it say anything about scripts written for ahk having to be open-source?

There's no reason why our scripts have to stay open-sourced.

[John Hughes]

Nice tutorial thx

[Guest]

Thanks for sharing this!!

[BoBo]

OMG, I've been the 222222 viewer of this thread. IT's 'Schnapszahl' PARTY TIME

[obalik]

Thanks for information

[Joe Glines]

I recently made a video showing how to compile & decompile your script using AutoHotkey_L with both MPRESS and UNX as well as how you can do a better job using AutoHotkey_H

[boiler]

I always wondered how to protect my scripts from Salma Hayek.

[BoBo]

Salma has joined the AHK-fanbase?? THAT'S SO AMAZING!

[Joe Glines]

Salma has joined the AHK-fanbase?? THAT'S SO AMAZING!

LOL Yes! Like I said in the video, it helps motivate me to think this is who I'm helping. Yes, I'm a pig... But at least I know how to get myself to do some work!

[Rao Shaheryar]

This is wonderful, thank you Mr. Joe Glines. I've also done some of my own research and this will surely flesh out my knowledge and this will be helpful for me .

[pallabibaruah18]

This is wonderful and informative, thank you. This will surely up my knowledge.