Strange bug trying to automate executable packaging [solved]

[pgimeno]

Zip files have a trailer structure that points to the zip directory. This directory allows looking for specific files even when the zip has garbage prepended to it (but not appended).

7z files don't have such structure, and therefore they don't allow that trick. That's why a fused .7z doesn't work. 7z works in isolation because it's supported by PhysFS, and fused zips work because PhysFS is able to see the zipfile contents without much effort, but as far as I know, Löve only supports zipfiles officially, and counts on this feature of zipfiles to support fused executables.

"Optimizations exclusive to that machine" refers to a common Linux practice to compile binaries that specifically work with your exact machine. If you actually read what you quoted, I even specified Linux. This is why Linux does not have portable executables out of the box, unlike Windows, and hence why I'm targetting Windows over Linux, as I don't like using most non-CLI Linux distros, and I'm really worried about how insecure my code is normally, let alone when people infinitely smarter than I am get ahold of my code.

Linux is not Gentoo, even if Gentoo is Linux. Gentoo is a distribution famous for recompiling most software with optimizations specific for your machine. About every other Linux distribution (Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, SUSE, ...) provides precompiled binaries.

[grump]

Besides that: what a view on the concept of open source, posted in a forum providing free support for a software released under a very permissible open source license.

All those people who are infinitely smarter than me but are still eager to steal my code and can't extract a zip file. I want to meet them one day.

[xX_pokeman2003_Xx]

I must've done something wrong, because I suddenly got my zip files working just fine, and automatically. ID10T and pebcak here for days, folks. Thank you for the three guys who actually pitched in to figure out what's going on.

Linux is not Gentoo, even if Gentoo is Linux. Gentoo is a distribution famous for recompiling most software with optimizations specific for your machine. About every other Linux distribution (Debian, Ubuntu, Arch, SUSE, ...) provides precompiled binaries.

Not about to get into an argument about this, but Gentoo isn't the only one to do this. Although, my conceptions of Linux come from primarily Gentoo users. However, the matter still stands:I'm not messing with Linux just to see if my builds work, therefore I'm working strictly with Windows builds. That is my final answer to this.
The rest of your explanation is very important, which means I screwed up somewhere when testing because I swear I got 7zip working last night. Thanks!

Besides that: what a view on the concept of open source, posted in a forum providing free support for a software released under a very permissible open source license.

All those people who are infinitely smarter than me but are still eager to steal my code. I want to meet them one day.

Here's the difference:I'm used to the a community known as the "old ROBLOX community". Almost everyone there of any intelligence(and hasn't left already) is extremely psychopathic, and it's made me equal levels of extremely paranoid because practically existing in that community put me at risk at being hacked. More worryingly, recently, I've witnessed the ORC lashing out at things that aren't even remotely related to ROBLOX. It's made me incredibly terrified of my own projects because I can't pentest, and I plan to include multiplayer.

If it might be of any help, the .bat file I use for automating builds does the following:
... ... ...

Of note, I use robocopy instead of the copy command to do the moving of files.

That code was of great help, thank you for posting it.

[grump]

Fusing your game to a Windows executable is not a security measure. There is no practical difference between a love file and a fused .exe file. It is a super thin layer of obscurity that will only fool people who know less than you do. Don't rely on it for security.

[xX_pokeman2003_Xx]

Fusing your game to a Windows executable is not a security measure. There is no practical difference between a love file and a fused .exe file. It is a super thin layer of obscurity that will only fool people who know less than you do. Don't rely on it for security.

My final post because this has gone on long enough:Executables can be obfuscated. I know this because I know of a Love2D game whose executable is obfuscated. Therefore, it's not a thin layer of obscurity, it's an entire layer where you can apply additional safety measures.

[MrFariator]

The purpose of fusing the executable is mostly for distribution, though, which is the point grump is driving at. At most it only provides a thin knowledge barrier, because anyone can really just rename the .exe to .zip, and get the contents that way. In order to obfuscate your source code (or the executable), you'll have to take extra steps. As for what those extra steps may be, look up the various threads on the topic on these forums. It's a pretty commonly brought up topic.

[zorg]

Fusing your game to a Windows executable is not a security measure. There is no practical difference between a love file and a fused .exe file. It is a super thin layer of obscurity that will only fool people who know less than you do. Don't rely on it for security.

My final post because this has gone on long enough:Executables can be obfuscated. I know this because I know of a Love2D game whose executable is obfuscated. Therefore, it's not a thin layer of obscurity, it's an entire layer where you can apply additional safety measures.

Thank you, i was waiting for something like this; now i have an excuse to repost this and link this thread in as well

https://love2d.org/forums/viewtopic.php ... 62#p223862

Btw, being cautious is a good thing, but being paranoid to the point of going crazy or losing the ability to control your tempter is dumb when you consider you can always put your phone away / turn your computer off... or just, you know, stop being part of a horrid community altogether... though i'll admit idk what you'd define as psychopatic in the "old ROBLOX community", whatever that is; might be just trolls saying they'd hack you or something. (In which case, i'd check my ceiling for the word gullible on it...)

[GVovkiv]

Thank you, i was waiting for something like this; now i have an excuse to repost this and link this thread in as well

classic "how to protect source code"