Jun 15, 2008 - In this tutorial you will learn how to crack any type of software protection using W32Dasm. Setup Flexlm License Server with the files in the supplied FlexLM directory. Select 'Use Services' and 'Start Server at Power Up'. John, thank you for bringing up that discussion on licensing and hacking. FLEXlm is not intended for use as a high security product, but as a means for helping.

Synopsys Mentor Cadence TSMC GlobalFoundries SNPS MENT CDNS ( ESNUG 314 Item 5 ) ---------------------------------------------- [3/17/99] Subject: ( ) Crack FLEX-lm? Go To Jail, Directly To Jail > I hate to sound like an EDA company lackey, but please cease and desist. > We're all engineers, whether software or hardware. Publishing articles > like these to facilitate theft of one engineer's work by another doesn't > seem to me like a legitimate productivity enhancer. > > On the other hand, since the senior execs at the EDA companies now all > seem to read your ESNUG newsletter, perhaps publishing these security > holes at the beginning of your column is the best way to get them patched. > > With that in mind, feel free to publish, withold, or edit as you see fit. > > - Dan Lutes > Cirrus From: [ The German Guy ] John, no name please, call me [ The German Guy ] if you wish to.

When I started my business career 15 years ago, we had a similar discussion in our (then) new start-up company. We had a test installation of a top-notch CAE software with no security mechanism yet, as it was beta. Based on a gentleman's agreement we were allowed to use it for a specified period of time, and had to delete it afterwards. Unfortunately we were not able to take advantage of all features during that time period, and our time schedules made it unlikely to make up for within days.

After discussions my superior decided not to 'extend' that license, but to immediately delete the software, just because it would be illegal. He convinced the team with the argument, that you cannot control and keep the knowledge of illegal software use for about 35 years, which an engineer's career typically lasts. How wise his decision was! Now, about 15 years later many of my former colleagues work at different companies, some at CAE software vendors, and one is even in the position to order the generation of license keys. Can you control the (spreading?) knowledge of former personal or company's wrongdoing? Would one of the knowing persons forget the personal (un)reliability concerning software licensing / license-tampering?

Isn't this even more dangerous if someone knows that you actively had 'hacked' a licensing scheme in order to save your company's money? The (then) external and thus uncontrollable knowledge may destroy your personal integrity even decades later -- when you may be a senior business professional in a promising position you perhaps had never dreamed of.

I admit, that I may have a slightly different opinion on privately owned or copied software/shareware/games. But as soon as I use software for business ('to make money with it'), I would never ever use it unlicensed or even actively 'hacked'. John, thank you for bringing up that discussion on licensing and hacking. - [ The German Guy ] ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- From: Matt Christiano John: I saw the discussion on ESNUG and thought that I should reply. I'm the president of GLOBEtrotter, the company that makes FLEXlm. FLEXlm is not intended for use as a high security product, but as a means for helping honest customers stay honest and receive flexible licensing terms. At the same time, governments around the world and the World Trade Organization are making the use of hacked and cracked software a serious crime.

I belive that it makes more sense that those who hack or use hacked software be inconvenienced through the legal system, rather than GLOBEtrotter inconveniencing honest end-user customers by going to extraordinary means to add security to FLEXlm. (Here's an example: FLEXlm has the ability to check for the system clock being set back. La audio 4c manual. It's not perfect, but it works reasonably well. While this feature has been in FLEXlm for several years, most of my FLEXlm EDA customers do not use it because it inconveniences their own legitimate customers because it screws up Y2K bug testing.) Can FLEXlm be cracked?