Finding ActiveState on your system

Find out how to locate and confirm if ActiveState products are installed on your system.

These instructions (for both Windows and Linux) can be provided to a developer, IT, or software compliance officer to perform the audit locally on the system, or scan multiple systems using asset management and installation tools like MS SCCM, Flexera, Snow, Aspera, etc.


How to Run a Windows System Scan

The first step is to locate executables and get the product version information. In order to get full access to the system, all searches should be performed using admin or root privileges.

  1. Open “Command Prompt” with Administrator privileges.

  2. Go to the root of each drive. This will be necessary for each drive on the machine, for the following example we will start in the C drive by changing our working directory using the command below.

cd c:\

Scan for ActiveState files using:

dir /s *ActiveState*

Scan for ActivePython using:

dir /s python*.dll

Scan for ActivePerl using:

dir /s perl5*.dll perle*.dll perlis.dll ap-*.bat tkx-*.bat

Scan for ActiveTcl using:

dir /s python*.dlldir /s base-tcl8.*-win*.dll license-at8*tclvfse.tcl

To track down all ActiveState executables, repeat each search for each of the listed executables in the next section by using the following command:

dir /s <listed executable>

For example: dir /s python.exe

The output returned for each of these commands will list the location of ActiveState files in your system.

Search Details for Windows

This is further information on what files the system scans are trying to detect on your local system.

ActivePython

Directories:

  • C:\Python36
  • C:\Python27
  • C:\Python*

Files:

  • python*.dll (python37.dll, python36.dll, python27.dll etc…)

Executables:

  • python.exe
  • python2.exe
  • python3.exe.

After tracking down all instances of Python, run the interpreter(s). After starting, the interpreter it will report ActiveState information. Right-click on files and executables to view their properties in context and check to see if they were created/added by ActiveState.

ActivePerl

Directories:

  • C:\Perl64
  • C:\Perl32

Files:

  • perl5*.dll
  • ap-update-html.bat
  • ap-user-guide.bat
  • ap-iis-config.bat,
  • ap-iis-install.bat
  • PerlEx30.dll
  • PerlEz.dll
  • PerlSE.dll
  • Perlis.dll
  • ppm.bat, ppm
  • Shell.bat
  • Tkx-ed.bat
  • tkx-prove.bat

Executable:

  • perl.exe

Track down all instances of Perl and use perl -V to report ActiveState information like @INC paths, patches, and configuration arguments.

ActiveTcl

Directory:

  • C:\Tcl

Files:

  • base-tcl8.-win.dll
  • license-at8*
  • tclvfse.tcl
  • ActiveTclHelp*.chm

Executables:

  • tclsh.exe
  • base-tcl8*-win*.exe
  • base-tk8.-win.exe
  • teacup.exe

Right-click on files and executables to view the properties in context and check to see if they were created/added by ActiveState.


How to Run a Linux System Scan

The first step is to locate executables and get the product version information. In order to get full access to the system, all searches should be performed using admin or root privileges.

  1. Open “Terminal” and ensure you are logged in as a “superuser” (or “root user”).

  2. Search for specific ActiveState files and directories using:

sudo find / -name "[Aa]ctive*"

Search to find ActivePerl-specific files:

sudo find / -name "perl[ies][sze]*"

Search to find ActiveTcl-specific files:

sudo find / -name "license-at8*"

To track down all ActiveState executables, repeat each search for each of the listed executables in the next section by using the following command:

sudo find / -name "<listed executable>"

Example: sudo find / -name "python"

Search Details for Linux

This is further information on what files the system scans are trying to detect:

ActivePython

Directories:

  • /opt/ActivePython-3.6.6
  • /opt/ActivePython-2.7
  • /opt/ActivePython-*

Files:

  • Activestate.py
  • ActiveStateLicense.txt
  • ActiveStateLicense.rtf

Executables:

  • python
  • python2
  • python3

Trackdown all instances of Python and run the interpreter. Upon start it will report ActiveState information.

ActivePerl

Directories:

  • /opt/ActivePerl-5.16
  • /opt/ActivePerl-5.24
  • /opt/ActivePerl-*

Files:

  • perlis*
  • perlez*
  • perlex*
  • perlse*

Executable:

  • perl

Trackdown all instances of Perl and use Perl -V to report ActiveState information like @INC paths, patches, and configuration arguments.

ActiveTcl

Directories:

  • /opt/ActiveTcl-8.6
  • /opt/ActiveTcl*

Files:

  • tclvfse.tcl
  • license-at8*
  • ActiveTclHelp*.chm
  • activetcl*

Executables:

  • tclsh
  • teacup

Determining Usage

The prior steps determine if you have ActiveState products installed on a system. To determine if the files are in use - or if the files are supporting the running of applications or scripts - you can first look for script / source files:

  • ActivePerl: Look for files with *.pl extensions
  • ActivePython: Look for files with *.py extensions
  • ActiveTcl: Look for files with *.tcl extensions

It is important to note that these are not the only evidence of scripts that rely on ActiveState product installations. There are other applications that may use the installed ActiveState products, such as code that is wrapped into a single .exe file.

If these files are found, determining if they are used can vary as there are manual and automated ways to run the scripts/source files. These are done by other programs or applications on the system. Search for any readme or documentation on those applications to guide you.

For automated jobs that run these scripts on Windows, you can see if there are *.bat files or entries in the Windows Task Scheduler. For Linux, check for *.sh files or entries in cron. If you have any further questions about performing your audit, please post on our community forums or contact your account manager.