HowTo: Install Ioncube PHP Encoder/Decoder

Are you a PHP geek coder by profession or by hobby? Do you ever wish to hide your PHP source codes but still sell it to the market without even buyers having to view your PHP source codes?

If your intention is to hide PHP codes of your work and still distribute it, read on.

How To Install IonCube PHP Encoder in Fedora 8

1. Register and download the latest Ioncube PHP Encoder from here. We are going to go through installing Ioncube PHP Encoder via .tar.gz installation method.

2. Unpack the files and copy to default PHP module folder location like so

# tar ioncube-encoder.tar.gz
# cd ioncube

Copy the latest .so file into your PHP module folder like so

# cp ioncube_loader_lin_5.2.so /usr/lib/php/modules/

The module name, module version and PHP module folder could be different from your platform.

3. There are two ways to install Ioncube PHP Encoder, one is via PHP. Edit your /etc/php.ini
After the line [PHP], insert the next line

zend_extension = /usr/lib/php/modules/ioncube_loader_lin_5.2.so

Save and exit.

4. Now, if you are serving your web pages from /var/www/html/test1 , simply copy

# cp ioncube-encoded-file.php /var/www/html/test1
# cp ioncube-loader-helper.php /var/www/html/test1

5. Restart Apache and browse the above two Ioncube PHP Encoder PHP test files

# service httpd restart

If you installation is successful, you should be seeing similar lines like

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This file has been successfully decoded. ionCube Loaders are correctly installed.
An ionCube encoded file has been loaded successfully.
Encoded files should now function correctly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If Ioncube encoder tells you that your code has expired, simply re-register and download a new copy of the Ioncube PHP encoder file for evaluation purposes.

If problem persist, consult Ioncube but basically, browsing ioncube-loader-helper.php should be helpful enough.

Get a grip of Ioncube here. That is all, enjoy the weekend.