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Remote Buddy Forum

Overview 

AuthorThread
User

27.02.2016 03:38:13
DRM issue
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This posting is older than 6 months and can contain outdated information.
I am having odd hardware / software problems with my Mac mini that for example caused the ethernet interface to dis-appear and forced me to switch to wifi.

Something about this has caused remote buddy to think it's on another computer and refuse to start so I wanted to stop by and say thanx as once again $#@% DRM only screws those who paid. Since this an HTPC your DRM has basically made my box unusable. 

These entries from the FAQ may be relevant to this topic:

Hardware - Apple® Remote
User

27.02.2016 14:43:02
Re: DRM issue
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This posting is older than 6 months and can contain outdated information.
TL;DR: 
This has *zero* to do with DRM. You're seeing one instance of an OS X-wide, completely DRM-unrelated effect of your Ethernet adapter being broken and your Mac system assuming a new host identity in response.

--

1) Remote Buddy does not use DRM. It uses a license code.

2) To protect against piracy, that license code needs to be verified online once.

3) The license code and verification result is then saved as a host-specific setting using the OS X preferences system (which stores it in ~/Library/Preferences/ByHost/com.iospirit.remotebuddy.license.[OS X HOST ID].plist)

4) That [OS X HOST ID] is derived from your primary network interface, which - for the Mac Mini - is the Ethernet adapter.

5) If a Mac mini suffers from a defective Ethernet controller, another network interface (WiFi, Firewire, Thunderbolt, ..) will take its place.

6) Since that new network interface will have a different MAC address, OS X will create and use another [OS X HOST ID]. Yes, that Mac just got a brand-new identity!

7) As a consequence, a lot of system and application settings reset to default values since - from the point of view of OS X - there no longer are any host-specific settings for the system with that new [OS X HOST ID].

8) Due to the new [OS X HOST ID], when Remote Buddy asks OS X for the license code settings, OS X replies that there are no such settings.

9) Without a license code, Remote Buddy asks you to enter it.

Solution: 
Re-enter the license code and let OS X save it for your Mac's new [OS X HOST ID].

- Felix

P.S.: Regarding "thanx as once again $#@% DRM only screws those who paid": I tried to look up your license info to send it to you in response, but couldn't do so, because you don't seem to have purchased anything from IOSPIRIT, yet. 

User

28.02.2016 09:45:02
Re: DRM issue
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This posting is older than 6 months and can contain outdated information.
Maybe that's at the root of your issue:

"Apple Accidentally Blacklists Own Ethernet Kernel Extension" 
http://cannonball.tombridge.com/2016/02/28/apple-accidentally-blacklists-own-ethernet-kernel-extension/ 

User

28.02.2016 23:34:54
Re: DRM issue
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This posting is older than 6 months and can contain outdated information.
Yes this was the issue.

You seem to have an incorrectly narrow definition of DRM. From wiki "DRM technologies try to control the *use*, modification, and distribution of copyrighted works" [emphasis mine] Preventing a program from launching because the license no longer matches the underlying machine is an example of DRM.

Yes I did pay, and no it does not ask for a license key. It seems if you bought it from the App store it insists that you sign back into the app store before it will launch which of course you cannot do when having networking issues.

My original statement stands. DRM only screws those who pay. 

User

29.02.2016 10:01:01
Re: Re: DRM issue
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This posting is older than 6 months and can contain outdated information.
Please contact Apple if you take issue with how OS X checks for a valid Mac App Store receipt and prompts you to enter your credentials when it doesn't match your primary network interface. That experience you had was managed entirely by OS X and Apple.