nvk@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Norman Kohn) (08/16/90)
Lotus is advertising a system V version. I called and was told that
it's available now; list prices around $950 single-user,
and $1100 for up to 10 users. A clear example of pricing
to reflect "value" rather than cost; but how do you suppose
they limit the number of simultaneous users?
1) do it in the code itself: very difficult with shared text and
virtual memory
2) create lock files. Hackable by wrapping lotus in a shell that does
chroot
3) look at process table. Hackable by linking new names, or renaming lotus;
but of course lotus could prevent renaming itself by looking at argv[0]
Anybody know of another way?
DISCLAIMER: I HAVEN'T SEEN LOTUS OR TRIED (2) ABOVE
--
Norman Kohn | ...ddsw1!nvk
Chicago, Il. | days/ans svc: (312) 650-6840
| eves: (312) 373-0564johnl@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us (John R. Levine) (08/17/90)
In article <1990Aug16.161501.18554@ddsw1.MCS.COM> nvk@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Norman Kohn) writes: >Lotus is advertising a system V version. I called and was told that it's >available now; list prices around $950 single-user, and $1100 for up to 10 >users. A clear example of pricing to reflect "value" rather than cost; but >how do you suppose they limit the number of simultaneous users? We did it with lock files, but the locking scheme isn't particularly hard to subvert. There is no copy-protection on 1-2-3, and the user counting code isn't there to force you to do anything, it's there to help system administrators comply with the terms of whatever version they have bought. -- John R. Levine, Segue Software, POB 349, Cambridge MA 02238, +1 617 864 9650 johnl@esegue.segue.boston.ma.us, {ima|spdcc|world}!esegue!johnl Marlon Brando and Doris Day were born on the same day.
src@scuzzy.mbx.sub.org (Heiko Blume) (08/23/90)
nvk@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Norman Kohn) writes: [...] >3) look at process table. Hackable by linking new names, or renaming lotus; >but of course lotus could prevent renaming itself by looking at argv[0] >Anybody know of another way? sure, have a daemon running that the lotus binary send some funny messages. if the daemon responds 'license exceeded' the prgm dies.... -- Heiko Blume c/o Diakite blume@scuzzy.mbx.sub.org FAX (+49 30) 882 50 65 Kottbusser Damm 28 blume@netmbx.UUCP VOICE (+49 30) 691 88 93 D-1000 Berlin 61 blume@netmbx.de TELEX 184174 intro d scuzzy Any ACU,e 19200 6919520 ogin:--ogin: nuucp ssword: nuucp