Using RB as a License Key Generator

[Tasp]

Now I've asked this question before, long ago in the infancy of RB and am wondering if the answer has changed.

I've been programming in JB/LB for years now and the eternal question (for me anyway) is for software registration/licensing.

I would like my LB program to contact "me" with a unique code generated on the users machine using the LB program, I then want RB running somewhere (I want to avoid a PC running at home 24/7 again, so hopefully on the pay RB server site) to provide a live response and supply an "unlock" code to allow the RB server to uniquely identify the user/software and create a, yep your a registered user and you can use the software you've paid for.

Generating the user side unique to machine code in LB shouldn't be a problem, but any suggestions are gratefully received!

This registration is only to happen once and preferably be seamless, ie. not require the users intervention (other than to click a button to contact the server), but should also include the the ability for the user to register via the website manually should they choose, I assume the latter is the easy bit!

So the big question. Is this achievable?

As always I'm sure to have left out something, so query away!

TIA

[StefanPendl]

I think it is possible to create such a service.

The only thing the client application would need to do is to download the license file.

Can you give a step-by-step explanation of what should happen?

[Tasp]

Sorry for delay, didn't get the auto email saying there's a reply.

I would prefer the end user not to visit a web site or use a browser.

So step by step;

1: User installs software onto their PC (CD or Download).

2: User chooses to unlock product, by simply clicking a button.

3: LB program collects serial number from hard drive to uniquely identify the PC.

4: Serial number is sent to the RB server, which responds with an unlock code for the LB software. This unlock code is unique to that machine.

5: Software is permanently unlocked.

[StefanPendl]

Ad 3)
I would use the networks adapter MAC address if one is present.
The serial number of the HDD is not unique, if it is the serial number of the partition, which is created during formating of the partition.

Ad 4)
For LB I would use the HTTPS demo code, since the RB page is not a static web page.
RB would parse the UrlKeys$ variable for the serial and display the generated key only.

[Tasp]

3: The issue could arise that if someone has 2 nic's (wired/less) the PC may have 2 MAC addresses, however even if the HDD serial is of the partition this should be ok, besides could collect various pieces of info, only one needs to be the same to allow running.

4: So I would need to use a web page and user intervention.

[StefanPendl]

Jul 29, 2012 8:48:48 GMT -5 Tasp said:

4: So I would need to use a web page and user intervention.

Well, no.

The HTTPS demo is used to collect a dynamic web page, which is created by RB by default.
The page will be retrieved by LB and the HTML file will be parsed to get the activation key.

There is no user interaction involved.

I would start to code the RB page:

• It will be called by www.myrbserver.com/?app=GetSerial&serial=13A4F6C5 for instance.
  
• the program parses the serial number out of the UrlKeys$ variable
  
• it generates the key and displays it with PRINT
  

If this works, you can create a key file to download with the serial as the file name for instance, this can be retrieved by LB too and avoids parsing the HTML file.

Code it in steps, where you test only one feature at a time, first parsing UrlKeys$, second activation key hashing, third display, forth file creation and last file download.