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Krypton & Xenon

🔒 Escrow & Open Source Options for FiveM

This guide explains the different options available for protecting and distributing your FiveM server resources, focusing on Escrow and Open Source approaches.

📦 Understanding Escrow

What is Escrow?

Escrow is a protection system that encrypts your server resources, making them unreadable and uneditable by users. This helps protect your intellectual property and server assets.

Benefits of Escrow

  • 🔐 Protects your server’s code and assets
  • 🛡️ Prevents unauthorized modifications
  • 💼 Maintains intellectual property rights
  • 🎮 Allows controlled distribution of resources

🌐 Open Source Options

What is Open Source?

Open Source means making your server resources publicly available, allowing others to view, modify, and distribute your code.

Benefits of Open Source

  • 🤝 Community collaboration
  • 🔍 Transparent code review
  • 🚀 Faster development through community contributions
  • 📚 Learning opportunities for developers

⚖️ Choosing Between Escrow and Open Source

When to Use Escrow

  • Commercial server resources
  • Proprietary scripts and systems
  • Custom-developed features
  • Paid server resources

When to Use Open Source

  • Community projects
  • Learning resources
  • Free server resources
  • Collaborative development

🛠️ Implementation Guide

Setting Up Escrow

  1. Prepare Your Resources

    • Organize your server files
    • Remove any sensitive information
    • Test all functionality

  2. Encrypt Your Resources

    -- Example of resource encryption
    resource_manifest_version '44febabe-d386-4d18-aaf1-c428e5de0e2b'
    

    -- Add encryption settings
    escrow_ignore {
        'config.lua', -- Files to exclude from encryption
    }

  3. Distribute Securely

    • Use secure download platforms
    • Implement license verification
    • Monitor usage and distribution

Going Open Source

  1. Prepare Your Code

    • Clean up your codebase
    • Add proper documentation
    • Include a license file

  2. Choose a License

    • MIT License (permissive)
    • GPL (requires derivative works to be open source)
    • Apache License (patent rights)

  3. Host Your Code

    • GitHub/GitLab repository
    • Clear README file
    • Contribution guidelines

📝 Best Practices

For Escrow Projects

  • Regularly update encryption
  • Maintain backup copies
  • Document usage requirements
  • Provide clear installation instructions

For Open Source Projects

  • Maintain active documentation
  • Respond to community feedback
  • Use version control
  • Follow coding standards

🔍 Security Considerations

Escrow Security

  • Use strong encryption
  • Implement license verification
  • Monitor for unauthorized distribution
  • Regular security updates

Open Source Security

  • Code review process
  • Vulnerability reporting
  • Regular updates
  • Community security guidelines