Hello,
I am developing an embedded device using Linux. I would like to protect my software from running on unathorized hardware. I do not want a situation when somebody take my softwer, buy an embedded computer and run my programs on it. I use ICOP's Mity SoC hardware -- it is possible to detect type of a processor (is it M6177D or the other). Maybe you know the other way of protecting software?
Thanks for a suggestions, Vicky.
I'm not familiar with the hardware, but if you're planning to simply ask the CPU which processor you're running on as a measure of copy protection, why not take it once step further and develop some of your code to use instructions only implemented on that processor? Most compilers have an option to "optimize" for a certain CPU, but you may also find the option to "specialize" for a certain CPU. You could also replace some of your code with inline assembly.
If there are enough Mity SOC-specific instructions, it should not be possible to run your software on any other processor.
Hi Vicky, I used an ICOP device, too. You can program the flash/eprom with an id code and ask for it by your software. Or you can calculate a checksum over system characterizing data (processor type, amount of ram/rom, perhaps you have an ethernet mac address...)
Regards, Andreas
And... Keep your software outside of the GPL trap... If you have to open-source your code it has not much use trying to code protection into it...
Yours, Freddy
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