When Things Go Wrong

Turn on debugging output to get more error information:

python -d pyarmor.py ...
PYTHONDEBUG=y pyarmor ...

Segment fault

In the following cases, obfuscated scripts will crash

  • Running obfuscated script by the debug version Python
  • Obfuscating scripts by Python 2.6 but running the obfuscated scripts by Python 2.7

Could not find _pytransform

Generally, the dynamic library _pytransform is in the same path of obfuscated scripts. It may be:

  • _pytransform.so in Linux
  • _pytransform.dll in Windows
  • _pytransform.dylib in MacOS

First check whether the file exists. If it exists:

  • Check the permissions of dynamic library

    If there is no execute permissions in Windows, it will complain: [Error 5] Access is denied

  • Check whether ctypes could load _pytransform:

    from pytransform import _load_library
    m = _load_library(path='/path/to/dist')
    
  • Try to set the runtime path in the Bootstrap Code of entry script:

    from pytransform import pyarmor_runtime
    pyarmor_runtime('/path/to/dist')
    

Still doesn’t work, report an issue

The license.lic generated doesn’t work

The key is that the capsule used to obfuscate scripts must be same as the capsule used to generate licenses.

If obfuscate scripts by command pyarmor obfuscate, Global Capsule is used implicitly. If obfuscate scripts by command pyarmor build, the project capsule is used.

When generating new licenses for obfuscated scripts, if run command pyarmor licenses in project path, the project capsule is used implicitly, otherwise Global Capsule.

The Global Capsule will be changed if the trial license file of PyArmor is replaced with normal one, or it’s deleted occasionally (which will be generated implicitly as running command pyarmor obfuscate next time).

In any cases, generating new license file with the different capsule will not work for the obfuscated scripts before. If the old capsule is gone, one solution is to obfuscate these scripts by the new capsule again.

NameError: name ‘__pyarmor__’ is not defined

No Bootstrap Code are executed before importing obfuscated scripts.

When creating new process by Popen or Process in mod subprocess or multiprocessing, to be sure that Bootstrap Code will be called before importing any obfuscated code in sub-process. Otherwise it will raise this exception.

Marshal loads failed when running xxx.py

  1. Check whether the version of Python to run obfuscated scripts is same as the version of Python to obfuscate script
  2. Check whether the capsule is generated based on current license of PyArmor. Try to move global capsule ~/.pyarmor_capsule.zip to any other path, then obfuscate scripts again.
  3. Be sure the capsule used to generated the license file is same as the capsule used to obfuscate the scripts. The filename of the capsule will be shown in the console when the command is running.

_pytransform can not be loaded twice

When the function pyarmor_runtime is called twice, it will complaint _pytransform can not be loaded twice

For example, if an obfuscated module includes the following lines:

from pytransform import pyarmor_runtime
pyarmor_runtime()
__pyarmor__(....)

When importing this module from entry script, it will report this error. The first 2 lines should be in the entry script only, not in the other module.

This limitation is introduced from v5.1, to disable this check, just edit pytransform.py and comment these lines in function pyarmor_runtime:

if _pytransform is not None:
    raise PytransformError('_pytransform can not be loaded twice')

Note

This limitation has been removed from v5.3.5.

Check restrict mode failed

Use obfuscated scripts in wrong way, by default all the obfuscated scripts can’t be changed any more.

Besides packing the obfuscated scripts will report this error either. Do not pack the obfuscated scripts, but pack the plain scripts directly.

For more information, refer to Restrict Mode

Protection Fault: unexpected xxx

Use obfuscated scripts in wrong way, by default, all the runtime files can’t be changed any more. Do not touch the following files

  • pytransform.py
  • _pytransform.so/.dll/.dylib

For more information, refer to Special Handling of Entry Script

Warning: code object xxxx isn’t wrapped

It means this function isn’t been obfuscated, because it includes some special instructions.

For example, there is 2-bytes instruction JMP 255, after the code object is obfuscated, the operand is increased to 267, and the instructions will be changed to:

EXTEND 1
JMP 11

In this case, it’s complex to obfuscate the code object with wrap mode. So the code object is left as it’s, but all the other code objects still are obfuscated.

In later version, it will be obfuscated with non wrap mode.

In current version add some unused code in this function so that the operand isn’t the critical value may avoid this warning.

Error: Try to run unauthorized function

If there is any file license.lic or pytransform.key in the current path, pyarmor maybe reports this error. One solution is to remove all of that files, the other solution to upgrade PyArmor to v5.4.5 later.

Check license failed: Invalid input packet.

If print this error as running the obfuscated scripts, check if there is any of license.lic or pytransform.key in the current path. To be sure they’re generated for the obfuscated scripts. If not, rename them or move them to other path.

Because the obfuscated scripts will first search the current path, then search the path of runtime module pytransform.py to find the file license.lic and pytransform.key. If they’re not generated for the obfuscated script, this error will be reported.