Originally Posted by JeremyMiller

OK. To create an installation script and to encode the software I'll quote $150.00. This includes the following items:

1) Your script is written in PHP and requires a 1 MySQL database.
2) To install, the user will:
I) Upload the files to their server
II) Create a database, user, and assign the user to the database.
III) Enter this information into an installation script which will then populate the configuration file, create all the database tables and populate them with initial data (and possibly create an initial admin user).
IV) A layout to the installer will be provided by you and editable by you in the future (through a basic templating system). This will allow the installer to keep working while you have the ability to change the look and feel.
V) Where possible, the installation script will also test for specific settings (defined by you) which are required to be present before the installation may be completed.
3) Encoding the software via IONCube. IONCube has a number of possible options for encoding settings and you'll need to choose one which you are happy with. Briefly, they are:

I) Encoding for a specific IP address. This is unrealistic as I'd have to encode them all for you. This option is, for obvious reasons, not covered under this quote.
II) Encode to require a license key file. IONCube supports this but I have not used it. I'd be willing to do it under this quote provided that I can encode once and then provide to you the instructions of creating the license key file, but I'm not sure if that's possible.
III) Just encode the thing so that people can't access the code. This is what I use for Content Farmer. I then have a custom license key system coded into the core of Content Farmer which ensures no illegal sharing of the software.
IV) There may be others, but I'm unfamiliar with them. They are probably listed on the IONCube site, http://www.ioncube.com/ .

Please note that encoding the software in IONCube is part of this specification, but providing support for the encoded files is not. IONCube loader installation information is available on the IONCube site at http://www.ioncube.com/loaders.php

In the interest of full disclosure: You can also encode via IONCube yourself at the IONCube site by purchasing the script encoding package. I don't know if that's within your budgetary constraints.

Additional notes: The installer script described above while requiring the user to take certain actions is very similar to the installation scripts employed for a number of open source projects; e.g. Zen Cart, WordPress, Mambo . This is not to say that it will have all the features and look and feel of those, but it is roughly the same number of steps and protections for the end user. I also use a similar methodology on my Content Farmer product.

If you have any questions, please let me know!