Here is a fairly complete list that I gathered by using Super Search for 'protect source code'. Remember that using Super Search is quicker than posting a question and waiting for the replies.

• How can I hide the source for my Perl program?
• Protecting Perl Code
• Obfuscate my perl code
• Obfuscating Perl (on purpose!)
• Source Hiding
• Why is it bad to hide the source?
• Protecting perl source code
• Closing Perl Source

Would you look at that? This question has been asked over and over and over.

Don't forget my favorite: Here is a commercial obfuscator!

If you are trying to hide the code from others on the same machine (ie cgi) then it is harder. You could try to set the permissions such that the code is still visible to those who need it, and not to those who don't.

The problem with obfuscating it is that once you have de-obfuscated one of your scripts then it is trivial to do it to other scripts obfuscated in the same way.

Not an answer to your question though...

--tidiness is the memory loss of environmental mnemonics

And then there should also be some "compilers" for perl.

But too curious eyes won't hinder that for long, I think.

You might also want to search here or look here

Sure, that is easy:

chmod 500 file
[download]

:-).