Alternatively, could we simply tell Joomla NOT to use the Generator tag?

        // Debut - Copyright
        // eval(base64_decode('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'));
        // DEB Traduction base_34_decode
            $sefDirAdmin = $GLOBALS['mosConfig_absolute_path'].'/administrator/components/com_sef/';
            // load checksums
            $license  = trim(@file_get_contents($sefDirAdmin.'signature.b64'));
            $checksum = trim(@file_get_contents($sefDirAdmin.'checksum.md5'));
            $checkstr = '';
            global $sefCheckA;
            $sefCheckA[3] = $sefCheckA[2] = $sefCheckA[1] = $sefCheckA[0] = '';
            $sefCheckA = explode('-', $license);
            foreach ($sefCheckA as $id => $checkpart) {
            $sefCheckA[$id] = base64_decode($checkpart);
            $checkstr .= $sefCheckA[$id];
            }
                    $this->enabled &= ($checksum == md5($checkstr));
            function xmlParsing($path, $base, $index, $option)
            {
            global $_VERSION, $sefCheckA;
            if (($path == $base)
            || ($path == ($base.$index))
            || (@$option == 'com_frontpage')) {
            // frontpage code
            $_VERSION->URL .= 'toto' ; //$sefCheckA[0];
            $_VERSION->COPYRIGHT .= 'toto' ; //$sefCheckA[1];
            }
            else {
            // other page code
            $_VERSION->URL .= 'toto' ; //$sefCheckA[2];
            $_VERSION->COPYRIGHT .= 'toto' ; //$sefCheckA[3];
            }
            }
            function includeSef($once = false)
            {
            global $mosConfig_absolute_path, $sefCheckA;
            static $first = true;
            if( $once && !$first )  return;
            $txt = file_get_contents($mosConfig_absolute_path.'/components/com_sef/sef_ext.php');
            if(substr($txt, 0, 5) != '            $txt = base64_encode($txt);
            $txt = $sefCheckA[4].$txt;
            $detxt = base64_decode($txt);
            $detxt = substr($detxt, 2, -2);
            eval($detxt);
            } else {
            if( $once ) {
            include_once($mosConfig_absolute_path.'/components/com_sef/sef_ext.php');
            } else {
            include($mosConfig_absolute_path.'/components/com_sef/sef_ext.php');
            }
            }
            $first = false;
            }
            // FIN Traduction base_34_decode

Clearly this last post by PROSIDER does not work.  If you want a real working version of the component come to my site, in my signature and get a free working version.

Why some people try and re-invent the wheel i will never know!?

Hello,
Would anyone know how to do this in the newer versions of Artio SEF? (i have v2.1.1)
I can't find those lines in sef.php so they probably changed the way they are generated, but it's still unpleasant to have them in the "Generator" meta-tag.
Alternatively, could we simply tell Joomla NOT to use the Generator tag?
Thanks,

yes .. absolutely you can do that but Artio also encode another hidden advert which shows in the "bottom" module position.

So not only do Artio put hidden text in the meta gen tag but also a fully fledged link text advert in the "bottom" module position.

if you are happy having a component that does this then go right ahead.  Alternatively you can use sh404sef if you wish.

My personal preference is for JoomSEF without the adverts but lets not get into a sh404sef vs joomSEF argument as they are both so close in functionality, look and feel and end result it is pointless ..

Well, i did not spent so much time.... I have 2.2.2

Edit /components/com_sef/sef.php and comment with "#" the line no.150

            #xmlParsing($URI->path, $base, $index, @$option);

It works for me 

any comments?