The invention is directed to a method for a software provider to enable a
software-acquiring entity to arrive from an existent first signed piece
of code at a second signed piece of code. Both pieces of code were
generated at the software provider by use of a first software archive
generator under use of generation instructions. The software provider
provides to the software-acquiring entity a difference code that
comprises the steps necessary to arrive from the first signed piece of
code at the second signed piece of code. The difference code is
combinable at the software-acquiring entity with the first signed piece
of code by a second software archive generator to generate the second
signed piece of code. The second software archive generator is therefor
to be fed with those generation instructions that were used by the first
software archive generator for the generation of both pieces of code.