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Closed source packages for Lazarus
Alex.Machado:
Hi all,
I'm creating a new thread here following this one that I created a coulpe of days ago, because I don't want to mix the contents:
https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,68946.0.html
After struggling with the creation of a closed source (trial version of a commercial library) package for Lazarus, I wonder if that's possible at all to create one, at least one that can be installed and registers components into the IDE.
Unless there is some hidden feature that I'm not aware of, at this stage I'm convinced that it's not possible to create a closed source package for Lazarus which contains registered components.
Edited: Yes, it does work. See my answer here: https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,68965.msg534383.html#msg534383
I know that some commercial packages exist but they are all installed with the sources *after* being purchased by the end user. In short: the user must try it in Delphi before purchasing the product to be used in Lazarus, which is beyond awkward.
I could not find a single package that can be installed without the sources (e.g. TMS do not have trial versions for Lazarus, only for Delphi, same with other vendors).
I've read this thread many times also https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php?topic=47582.0
and tried every single advice there but nothing actually works.
So, my question is really simple:
Is it possible to create closed source packages that install/register components into the Lazarus IDE?
If so, can anyone point me a single exemple of such library?
Thanks in advance
rvk:
No experience but you might want to read this.
https://wiki.lazarus.freepascal.org/Lazarus_Packages#Creating_a_closed_sourced_package
paweld:
It is possible to create such a component for lazarus, but this has several serious drawbacks that make such a solution unprofitable:
- lack of sources results in a lack of prompts
- executing “clean and build” (with package checkboxes checked) on the project will result in an error, as there will be nothing to rebuild the component from, resulting in the need to uninstall and reinstall the component
- you will have to provide compiled packages for sure for each FPC version and for each target, and maybe even dependent on the Lazarus version (but I'm not sure about that).
Of the commercial components, it is Devart that provides a test version that you can test with Lazarus (compiled components without sources).
af0815:
My experience, no it is not possible. Every ppu have some checksume from system ppu and if that change, allppu must be recompiled. If you compile the fpc from source because you need a patched version or you use fixes, mai,... you have not the same checksum as the creator of the package. And then it is not possible to recompile Lazarus.
I have this seen with a comercial product and Lazarus. I was posting this here in an old thread, if i found the thread, i will post a link.
All this is waiting for the dynamic loadable packages
edit: https://forum.lazarus.freepascal.org/index.php/topic,47582.0.html
440bx:
What's follows is a possibility based on "stretching" the meaning of "closed source".
The idea is that you do provide the source but _obfuscated_ source. That is source code where variable names, type names, constant names, function and procedure names, etc have been changed to strings that make no sense. In addition to that, change the formatting so it is extremely hard to read (a formatter could improve that but, that would require work on the part of the user and the gain would still be minimal.)
Effectively, this makes having the source very close to totally useless, thereby making it "closed source" for practical purposes.
In economic terms, it's probably cheaper to buy the product than to spend the time figuring out what the original source was.
HTH.
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