On HP-UX we use the uname() function in our own proprietary licensing software Which we have developed. One of the values it returns is the 'idnumber', Which contains a unique identification number for each physical machine in which it is run.
Using this same function on Red Hat 8.0 the 'idnumber' field does not exist. Does anyone know of an alternative way of getting such a idnumber ? I've been doing some searching and have not come up with anything.
Thank you,
Fred Bartholomai ---------------------------------------------------- Fred Bartholomai Advanced Control Systems, Inc. Software Dept., R&D Consultant 770 849 0131 x334 fred.bartholomai@acsatl.com
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Fred Bartholomai wrote:
Using this same function on Red Hat 8.0 the ‘idnumber’ field does not exist.
Does anyone know of an alternative way of getting such a idnumber ?
This is the job of the gethostid() function which is even in POSIX so you really shouldn't have looked far.
But the implementation of this function isn't something you will like. It does not provide a secure mechanism. The sysadmin is able to change the information at will. Well, using the uname() function would have the same problem. One would just have to preload a DSO with the appropriate gethostid/uname/... implementation which returns the right number.
If you need something which cannot be tempered with you need to install extra hardware like a dongle.
- -- - --------------. ,-. 444 Castro Street Ulrich Drepper \ ,-----------------' \ Mountain View, CA 94041 USA Red Hat `--' drepper at redhat.com `---------------------------
On Tue, 9 Sep 2003, Ulrich Drepper wrote:
This is the job of the gethostid() function which is even in POSIX so you really shouldn't have looked far.
But the implementation of this function isn't something you will like. It does not provide a secure mechanism. The sysadmin is able to change the information at will. Well, using the uname() function would have the same problem. One would just have to preload a DSO with the appropriate gethostid/uname/... implementation which returns the right number.
If you need something which cannot be tempered with you need to install extra hardware like a dongle.
Dongles can be tampered with using a logic probe and oscilloscope. ;o)
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Fred Bartholomai -
Mike A. Harris -
Ulrich Drepper