3.6. Pyarmor Check List

Pyarmor team handles too many wrong usage issues, all of them are collected and organized into this document. When something is wrong, please check this doc at first.

3.6.1. Build Device

If something is wrong in build device, check this section.

3.6.1.1. Bootstrap failed

  1. Check package pyarmor.cli.core has been installed

    Search extension module pytransform3.pyd or pytransform3.so in pyarmor package source

    If not exists, please check installation documentation to install it

  2. Check extension pytransform3 is exact for this Python and platform

    Test it by Python interperter:

    $ python
>>> from pyarmor.cli.core import Pytransform3
>>> Pytransform3.version()
1
>>>

    If not return this, check the dependencies of extension pytransform3

    In Linux

    $ ldd /path/to/pytransform3.so

    In MacOS

    $ codesign -v /path/to/pytransform3.so
$ otool -L /path/to/pytransform3.so

    In Windows, download [cygcheck] then:

    C:\> cygcheck \path\to\pytransform3.pyd

    Or:

    C:\> dumpbin /dependents \path\to\pytransform3.pyd

    Try to install missed packages by error report to solve the problem

  3. If nothing works, please check Building Environments to make sure Pyarmor supports this platform

    For LINUX variant system, check the content of packages like pyarmor.cli.core.linux, pyarmor.cli.core.alpine , pyarmor.cli.core.android etc. Each package includes many prebuilt pytransform.so. For example:

    $ unzip ./pyarmor.cli.core.linux-6.5.3-cp310-none-any.whl

Archive:  ./pyarmor.cli.core.linux-6.5.3-cp310-none-any.whl
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/__init__.py
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/aarch64/pyarmor_runtime.so
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/aarch64/pytransform3.so
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/armv7/pyarmor_runtime.so
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/armv7/pytransform3.so
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/loongarch64/pyarmor_runtime.so
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/loongarch64/pytransform3.so
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/mips32el/pyarmor_runtime.so
  inflating: pyarmor/cli/core/linux/mips32el/pytransform3.so
  ...

    Check each pytransform3.so by ldd to find which one works, then copy them to package pyarmor.cli.core. For example:

    $ cp pyarmor/cli/core/linux/loongarch64/*.so /path/to/pyarmor/cli/core
$ pyarmor gen foo.py

    Or install this package and set environment variable like this:

    $ pip install ./pyarmor.cli.core.linux-6.5.3-cp310-none-any.whl
$ export PYARMOR_PLATFORM=linux.loongarch64
$ pyarmor gen foo.py

  4. If this platform is supported, try to upgrade Python interprerter to latest patch version. For example, upgrade Python 3.11.0b2 to 3.11.9

3.6.1.2. Registration Failed

If it’s using Activation File (pyarmor-regcode-xxxx.txt), make sure this file is not used more than 3 times, generally once initial registration completed, activation file pyarmor-regcode-xxxx.txt is invalid. It should use Registration File pyarmor-regfile-xxxx.zip for any next registration.

Basic/Pro License

  1. If the date time of this device has been changed, restore it to current time

  2. If run register command more than 3 times in 1 minute, wait for 5 minutes, and try again.

  3. If run more than 3 docker containers in 1 minute in same docker host, run only one at the same time.

  4. If have 100 runs in different devices or docker containers in 24 hours, waiting for 24 hours since the first run

  5. If not, try to open http://pyarmor.dashingsoft.com/api/auth2/ in web browser or test it by curl

    If return “NO:missing parameters”, it means network is fine, and license server is fine

    Otherwise check network configuration

  6. Check Python interpreter by the following commands (If there are many Python installed, make sure this Python interperter is used to execute Pyarmor)

    $ python
>>> from urllib.request import urlopen
>>> res = urlopen('http://pyarmor.dashingsoft.com/api/auth2/')
>>> print(res.read())
b'NO:missing parameter'

If it raises exception or return something else, it’s firewall problem, please configure firwire to allow Python interpreter to visit pyarmor.dashingsoft.com and port 80 or 443

If it returns as above, but still failed to register, report issue with license no. like pyarmor-vax-5068

Group License

  1. Check this offline device Machine ID is changed or not after reboot

    • It should make sure Pyarmor > 8.5.2, it’s better to use the latest Pyarmor

    • Group License doesn’t work in CI/CD pipeline with default runner

  2. It’s device registration file pyarmor-device-regfile-????.N.zip to be used to register Pyarmor in offline device. Do not use Group License Registration File pyarmor-regfile-xxxx.zip to register Pyarmor in the offline device

  3. Does device registration file pyarmor-device-regfile-????.N.zip match this device? Each device registration file has one machine id.

  4. If device Machine ID is same after reboot, and device registration file is matched this device, please report issue with the following information:

    • Machine ID

    • Device type, it’s physics device, vm, ECS, docker container or something else

    • Linux, Windows or MacOS and arches

    • For Linux/MacOS, also provide the output of uname -a

Group License for docker container

  1. Check docker host and container network, make sure they’re in same network

3.6.1.3. Obfuscation failed

update license token failed

Please check above section Registration Failed

raise other exceptions

  1. Try to obfuscate simple hello world script

    If not, check above section Bootstrap Failed, make sure Pyarmor supports this platform

  2. Try to ignore local and global configuration. For example

    Rename path .pyarmor to .pyarmor.bak

    Rename path ~/.pyarmor/config to ~/.pyarmor/config.bak

    Then try to obfuscate the scripts

  3. Try to use few options, check it works or not, and get the problem option

  4. When report issue, please use debug option -d to generate pyarmor.report.bug, and

    • A script as simple as possible to reproduce issue

    • Do not use the options which doesn’t make sense for this issue

3.6.1.4. Packing failed

  1. Try to pack the original script by PyInstaller directly first, mkae sure it works and the final bundle works

  2. Check Insight Into Pack Command

3.6.2. Target Device

If your own code in the obfuscated script still isn’t executed, check Bootstrap failed, otherwise check failed to run obfuscated scripts or failed to run the packed obfuscated scripts

3.6.2.1. Bootstrap failed

  1. Check is there Runtime Package

    In the output dist path, search pyarmor_runtime.pyd or pyarmor_runtime.so

    Runtime Package is a normal Python package, use it as third-party package, make sure it’s in right place so that the obfuscated script could import it

  2. Check the import statement in the obfuscated scripts

    Open the obfuscated script by any text editor, you can see the first statement is from … import, make sure it works by Python import system

    If it doesn’t work, try to use -i or --prefix to generate the obfuscated scripts again to fix it

  3. Try to upgrade Python interprerter to latest patch version. For example, upgrade Python 3.11.0b2 to 3.11.9

If target device is different from build device

  1. Make sure Python version (major.minor) is same in build/target device

  2. If OS or arch is not same, make sure the right cross platform option --platform is used

  3. Check extension pyarmor_runtime works in target machine

    In Linux

    $ ldd /path/to/pyarmor_runtime.so

    In MacOS

    $ codesign -v /path/to/pyarmor_runtime.so
$ otool -L /path/to/pyarmor_runtime.so

    In Windows, download [cygcheck] then:

    C:\> cygcheck \path\to\pyarmor_runtime.pyd

    Or:

    C:\> dumpbin /dependents \path\to\pyarmor_runtime.pyd

    Try to install missed packages by error report to solve the problem

If still not work, please check Building Environments to make sure Pyarmor supports this platform

unauthorized use of script

  1. Do not use restrict options like --private, --restrict, --assert-call, --assert-import

  2. Use pyarmor cfg assert.call:excludes “xxx” and pyarmor cfg assert.import:excludes “xxx” to exclude problem modules and functions

  3. Find the problem option, and report issue

3.6.2.2. Failed to run obfuscated scripts

  1. Do not use --enable-rft, --enable-bcc and any restrict options like --private, --restrict, --assert-call, --assert-import, check the obfuscated scripts work or not. If it works, check the solutions in the RFT Mode Problem, BCC Mode Problem and unauthorized use of script

  2. If it doesn’t work, try to obfuscate one simple script, check it works or not

  3. Add some print statement in the problem script, and get one script as simple as possible to reproduce the problem. It’s better only use Python system packages. If really need third-parth library, check Work with Third-Party Libraries first

  4. Report issue with necessary information

    • Minimum pyarmor options, do not submit non-sense options

    • A simple script which only imports Python system package

    • How to run the obfuscated scripts and full trackback when it fails

RFT Mode Problem

Check solutions in Using rftmode pro

BCC Mode Problem

First use a hello world script to make sure it works. If it doesn’t work, check your configuration and try again in clean environments

Check solutions in Using bccmode pro

3.6.2.3. Failed to run the packed obfuscated scripts

  1. Do not pack the sciprt, just use same options to obfuscate the script, and run the obfuscated script in target device, make sure it works, otherwise check solutions in above section

  2. Do not obfuscate the scripts, pack the original script by PyInstaller directly, and execute the final executable in target device, make sure it works. Otherwise check PyInstaller documentation to find solutions

  3. Try to use a few options to repeat check point 1 and 2, find the problem option, and report issue

3.6.3. Platform Issues

Darwin Apple Silicon may need codesign if pyarmor or the obfuscated script can’t run at all

Notes

cygcheck(1,2)

How to get cygcheck.exe

Download https://pyarmor.dashingsoft.com/downloads/tools/cygcheck.zip and unzip it

Or get it from offical website

  • Open https://cygwin.com/mirrors.html

  • Select one mirror, enter pathes x86_64/release/cygwin/

  • Download the latest package cygwin-3.5.3-1.tar.xz

  • Extract cygcheck.exe from this file by tar xJf cygwin-3.5.3-1.tar.xz