Zend Guard?
 

Do you need your server to run a special software to run zend-guard protected pages? The documentation is unclear, but I think it implies it.

For the applications that scramble your PHP code, yes, you will often need what is called loaders. They sit, typically in the web-root, and decode all the source code which is scrambled. No software as such, just merely loaders - which if Zend is anything like all the others out there, consists of one DLL or SO file - depending on the OS.

Zend Guard using the Zend Optimizer to decode its files. It's a free download and fairly straight-foward to install.

Alan.

What is the point of encrypting php software if you need the person using to contact their webmaster so the webmaster can install new software?

Many hosting packages come with Zend and/or Ioncube decoders already installed, but the idea behind encrypting is so those users can't steal your PHP code. Most encoders also have a licence type function so you can sell your software and ensure that only licenced users are running it.

Alan.

If people were trust worthy and there wasn't so many Warez groups dedicated to Nulling scripts like WST, DGT, VBteam, MAFiAScript (dead) ,etc. we probably wouldn't need the encryption software.