Been looking forward to IP.Converge finally being released out of beta for a while now. Are they still being encoded? I only see the encoded versions for download, unless I'm missing something here. I have two active licenses.

they have said they will always keep it encoded to protect source code and combat piracy

The encoding of the product also improves security, since IP.Converge is an application that is solely for login and password information, being able to not view the source allows to limit the number of possible vulnerabilities that could be opened up.

Encoded versions are REALLY a trouble for me... and I'm really sure that I'm not the only one...
Sure, there are many reasons, but the main one is that not all providers support zend/ioncode, and I'm very happy with my provider even without supporting Zend.

Is there a way to request a non-encoded version ?

I want to build a portal integrated with IPB, and IP.Converge looks really an awesome way to do that, but, with it encoded, I'm with my hands tied

I think this would be a very very very nice option, but the problem is that there will be always some ****** which will "release" pirated versions to file shareing networks.

Although IP.Nexus and future releases of current products have / will have great APIs and module systems, so that there isn't any necessity of an non-encoded version to modify the software, I'd like to see such version.

Maybe one reason is that I really learned coding and improofing my skills of writing nice code by viewing the sources of the 1.x series two or three years ago.

I didn't think that a host would have to provide any support for ioncube; don't you just have to upload the files?

I belive that is correct.

Also this has been discussed in other threads in this forum, and Brandon has said that even if you had access to the code there really wouldn't be any mods or changes that you could make to it. All Converge does is handle logins, nothing else. Apart from adding features to it (which can be requested so IPS can put them in the next version) I can't think of any changes you would want to make.

I did some search on google, and looks like there are methods to decode both ioncube and zend. You know, this isn't protecting the code, it's just hiding the code from the general programmer, making it more vulnerable to "serious" guys trying to cause trouble.

I found sites selling decoders, sites offering to decode the files for you, and programmers willing to sell their time making decoders, with proofs that they broke through it before (probably will already have a ready-made solution). I won't list in here, but it's easy to find such information...

With the code, if I spot a flaw (usually people report that), I can quickly go and fix it... If someone spot a flaw and I have an encoded version... well... time to shut down the site until a solution is done.. and, if is a business site, you know, clients tends to search an alternative quickly and you lose some customers due being unable to fix the site by yourself.


That's really bad... I have reported some piraced boards that never got shutdown in the past, but, hey, what prevent people from releasing encoded versions ?
When trying to report some illegal sites using pirated versions, I noticed they remove all the links to invisionpower.com (I got access to one of them before reporting, and that made me really angry)...
You know, that isn't hard to do with a wrapper too.. So, encoding don't protect anything from piracy... Sadly :/
(I'm a PHP programmer too, and I like to protect my code too... I understand this feeling =/ )



From my 5 years of work with PHP, I learned to be a bit paranoid (a bit? lol) with security...
Usually I tend to modify the way it stores data (little changes here and there makes a lot of trouble to those pesky script kiddes ), avoid a lot of problems when people try some sort of trickery. It works nice for me.


Haven't tried with ioncube version, but you know, I don't like to run things that I don't know what happens behind... Okay, I still use windows for gaming, I confess, but I do prefer a lot more to use linux. While it's a lot complex, if I'm not sure of something, I can easy open the source code and check what something specifically do. I may not understand fully what happens sometimes, but, well, I can research about it if it really bugs me.

I hope I have made my point...
Please, I *really* would appreciate a LOT if we can get a non-encoded version of ip.converge... I've been waiting for this for a long time
I do understand using encoded versions to non-customers, but doing that for customers is really something that makes me upset

Hopefully, you guys will understand my point and - who have the power to - will reconsider releasing a non-encoded version for customers.

You mention above about a vulnerability, however if such a hole that would compromise security is found, as always; IPS will provide an update immediately to correct this. It's the same with all security patches regardless of the IPS Product.

If I did not made clear: I DO trust in Invision work, otherwise, I wouldn't pay the license.

But I use Invision since the 1.x betas, and, believe it or not, I have stumbled on a few bugs here and there, and it was really a BIG HELP when I was able to fix it by myself. And, yes, I found some on 2.x series too.

Just be thankful Board isn't encoded.

Thanks for the info, I thought I was missing something or something. As I thought the code wouldnt be encoded on release, but its fine. As said before its not like the board which one would make a number of changes too, its just a login system.

I'm going to do some research in the docs before I try this, I may do it on my local server first doing it live. As my main board is 2.2.2 and my other 2 are 2.3, so I'm hoping I can plug this into one of them, and use the 2.2.2 one as my main member database, as I don't wish to upgrade the 2.2.2 one mostly due to the fact some of my custom code for my site doesn't work in the new 2.3 system and it I have yet to code updated stuff.

I love IPB for being non-encoded

At this time we don't have any specific plans to release Converge un-encoded I'm afraid. Based on that, you will have to decide whether you wish to use it in it's current state (encoded) or try something custom/an alternative.

As for Zend and ioncube being decoded - well, about a year or two ago that was true, but almost immediately both Zend and ioncube released updates for their software, and as of yet neither of these have been successfully decoded to my knowledge.

I would like to have unencoded versions, but by no means is it a deal breaker. I want to look and learn. IPS puts out quality products and I have no issues with patch release time. I would still buy and use board if it had a hooks system like Nexus and was encoded.