im on mac os and using this app called pencil+ along with an addon for blender so i can get nice outlines on 3D models. The app costs more than a years wage in my country so i cant afford it. The trial has all the features unlocked and lasts 14 days but even if i delete all files it installs it somehow still knows my trial is over.

Im assuming its phoning home and reporting my mac uuid or something to let it know my trial is over. Formatting the mac lets me restart the trial but i cant format my macbook every 14 days. Anyone know a good way i can reset the trial? It has an offline activation mode if you have a license key so maybe i can prevent it from going online and have it think im still in trial mode?

Any help is deeply appreciated

  • Reannlegge@lemmy.caEnglish
    51·
    21 hours ago

    I know this goes down a different rabbit hole, and you may end up finding a new hobby in life but have you tried finding open source plugins or whatever? If you do not want to ditch Apple look for open source plug-ins, but my suggestion is ditch Apple and go Linux, it it is an intel Mac most distros will work if it is a Apple Silicon Mac there are less distros but still a few. Make sure there are alternative apps for everything you use prior to the jump though.

    • xnx@piefed.socialOPEnglish
      3·
      19 hours ago

      Basically everything i use is open source. I’ve tried the alternatives to pencil+ they don’t compare in speed or style

  • heartSagan5@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    20 hours ago

    Can you run it in a VM? I see you say the trial is unended with a format so it’s probably not phoning home with a UUID. Maybe swap user accounts every 14 days?

  • TheFogan@programming.devEnglish
    11·
    1 day ago

    not familiar with that program, but maybe something like https://ss64.com/mac/opensnoop.html , can tell you what it’s looking for, (IE it most likely installs some kind of watermark somewhere inobvious on your computer. If not though, I’d do some simple google searching for pencil+ crack.

  • mbirth 🇬🇧@lemmy.mlEnglish
    61·
    1 day ago

    Try installing/running it while offline.

    Also, most apps just put a preferences file at some obscure location. Try uninstalling it using AppCleanerX (make sure to remove everything it shows) and see whether that helps.

    • xnx@piefed.socialOPEnglish
      1·
      23 hours ago

      I use a similar program and deleted everything including any files in the .config folder

      • mbirth 🇬🇧@lemmy.mlEnglish
        3·
        16 hours ago
        $ strings "PSOFT Pensil+ 4 Render App.app/Contents/MacOS/Pencil+ 4 Render App (Trial)"
...
pshi_%s.dat
psh_%s_%u.tmp
psh_%s_%u.dat
/Users/Shared/.etc

        So, maybe check the /Users/Shared/.etc folder? Make sure to turn on hidden files in Finder by pressing ⌘⇧. (dot)! Also, look for some files starting with psh_.

        EDIT: I’ve also seen something like /.config/ or /.config/PSOFT/ - so might be in your user directory or in the /Users/Shared/ one.

  • hexagonwin@lemmy.todayEnglish
    1·
    20 hours ago

    i’m not sure if this would work, but maybe try FSMonitor to see which files are generated at installation?

    does restoring to a timemachine backup reset the trial?

  • FridaVermercury@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
    4·
    1 day ago

    Just a quick idea that will likely not work these days anymore, did you try change your systems time to an earlier date? Used to work with really old software but maybe worth a try.

  • far_university1990@reddthat.comEnglish
    2·
    1 day ago

    Maybe make timemachine backup before install, install only your app, try if timemachine restore can reset trial. Or compare filesystem before app install with after, see below.

    Very technical way: try find every file
    open/create during install or run. Linux has strace, macos has dtrace/execsnoop but depend on macos version difficult to setup. Then dump trace for all file operation (open/write/rename/…), find filepath from trace, try delete file that outside of directory you already try to delete. Prepare you might brick mac or not allowed because of tight security.

    If not show any other file maybe also syscall trace useful if kernel give “uuid” to program. Also maybe macos has better way to debug app, like gdb maybe, and try to find all call to open , then intercept and log filepath like that.

    Or install fresh system, take apfs snapshot (apparently possible using tmutil, or just make timemachine backup but iirc those not backup all file of system so might miss some), install only your app, take apfs snapshot, mount both snapshot and compare to find all change/new file. Maybe rsync -avin newsnap oldsnap for metadata compare or rsync -avicn newsnap oldsnap for content checksum compare (if actually change content without metadata somehow) or snapshot or backup diff using other program, i think timemachine could show backup diff somehow.

    Edit: also wireshark for intercept and inspect network traffic.

  • susieq0044@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    928·
    1 day ago

    Yes, this scenario indeed sounds like piracy, and you are a thief (or planning to become one). Don’t go down this path ! You’ll end up stealing money from old ladies, robbing a bank or whatsoever; it will damage your karma and you will end up in jail.