[ale] Batch2com

[Christopher Fowler]

> 
> Christopher Fowler mumbled incoherently:
> > 
> > In my old days of DOS programming I used to write batch files and convert them
> > into com files using a program called batch2com.  I'm looking for a program
> > for linux or unix in general that will that scripts and convert them into
> > binaries.  The may reason is I want to write very detailed script files and
> > not let anyone be able to read them.  In binary form I could do this.  No really
> > good unix genius is going to use the script anyway so I will not worry about people
> > trying to crack it.  
> 
> I don't know of any such utility, except for gcc :)
> perl might have such an option, but I doubt it... most people rather enjoy
> being able to edit scripts as necessary for their personal configurations.
> 
> Why not just use something like a scriptfile "makeitso":
> 
> #/bin/sh
> /usr/script/makeithappen
> 
> then do all of your complicated stuff in "makeithappen".  chmod
> makeithappen to read-execute for owner only, chown makeitso to the owner of
> makeithappen, then have makeitso run setuid to the owner of makeithappen.
> If you create a user "scriptgod", then you don't even have the setuid root
> problems this can cause... anyone who breaks the setuid somehow can STILL
> only access your scripts, not anything really useful.
> 
> -r-x------	scriptgod	users	12080	makeithappen
> sr-xr-xr-x  scriptgod	users	   94	makeitso
> 
> I'm sometimes explanation-illiterate, so let me know if i've been confusing
> or something :)
> 
> I think they call this a wrapper?  I'm not certain.
> 
> -- 
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> 
the reason for making a binary is to distriburte a script that looks like a 
binary and no one could edit.  In perl you could write whole programs.  How 
could you sell them if anyone could edit them?