I need to install a php appliance I did in an office for trial on a winxp computer...is there a way to secure my code..so that it is not just copied from the server directory on the windows computer ??
I dont want them just to take the code, I want to make it unaccesible through the windows explorer..

I mean with physical access there is propably no complete solution...but something to at least hide the directory that contains my code..or encrypt it or so...?

Any suggestions are highly appreciated...

There are a number of solutions most charge you for their efforts (Zend optimiser as an example) But I guess that you just want a little protection at no cost, so you may want to try the Alternate PHP Cache APC

graeme.

i know when you compile apache there is an option to disable directory display.. this may do it.. keep anyone from browsing and downloading the files.

though there probably is a more sophisticatd/specialized way that i am not aware of..

<edit> didnt see your post graeme.. </edit>

I suppose you could ask that they implement NTFS, give you the administrator password, and allow you to change the password so that only you have admin access to it. Then, put the code into an NTFS protected directory, accessible only by admin, temporarily give IIS admin rights so it can serve up the content, and viola!
Of course, that's based on the assumption that they don't mind giving you admin access to their server, and allowing you to deny them access.

P.S. I didn't even know you could host PHP on a winxp server. How do you do that?
Oh, that brings me to another option! Maybe you could boot to Knoppix, host a temporary PHP site, and secure the docs through linux!

Try ioncube php encoder. They have a demo on their website. Try googling it. I bought their software but havent really deployed anything yet since our app is still under development. But it works in my development server

Thanks a million for all the comments you gave me......Ive got all the info I need to google in-depth...for the solutions you proposed. As for you bobmclaren...google for wamp and download it, it will provide an Apache MySql PHP platform on windowsXP.