zlicenser-protocol

Shared protocol types and communication logic between zlicenser (client-side) and zlicenser-server (vendor-side backend).

This crate is under development. Crate name reserved in the meantime.

What is this crate?

zlicenser-protocol is the shared library that both the vendor-hosted server and the end-user client depend on. It defines the wire types, request/response structures, and communication logic used across the zlicenser ecosystem.

The broader zlicenser project is an open-source Rust licensing framework for commercial software. It produces per-customer encrypted builds bound to a hardware fingerprint, so every copy a vendor ships is cryptographically attributable to the customer who received it — running entirely in user space, with no kernel modules or elevated privileges required.

Role in the ecosystem

Crate	Role
`zlicenser`	Client-side: hardware fingerprinting, decryption shim, launcher, and vendor GUI
`zlicenser-server`	Server-side: license management, usage tracking, request validation, and payment/timekeeping
`zlicenser-protocol` (this crate)	Shared: wire types, request/response structs, and communication logic used by both sides

Planned scope

License issuance request and response types
Revocation and re-enrollment message types
Hardware fingerprint envelope format
Serialization and versioning helpers
Shared error and status codes

Status

Component	Status
Wire types	Planned
Request / response structs	Planned
Fingerprint envelope	Planned
Serialization helpers	Planned
Versioning	Planned

License