3 ms·

Zoom needs a ton of probably admin rights required access for it's features - raw access to mic and camera, screen sharing, remote control, etc.

by sofixa 4y ago

thejosh 4y ago
If the app needs to access a feature, ask for it via the native app, isn't that what phones do? (I think?) Chrome has to go through the hoops on Mac every time it updates to re-allow it in Privacy Settings for Google Hangouts to work. It's such a pain.
krono 4y ago
Nope, that's what the protected resources API is for. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/information_property_list/protected_resources https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/in...
- sofixa 4y ago
  Doesn't Zoom predate these by like years?
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - grishka 4y ago
    You never needed root for any of this on macOS.
    - sofixa 4y ago
      Even remote control?
      - grishka 4y ago
        Even remote control, or, in general, input interception/injection. That's done via accessibility APIs I believe, and these do need to be enabled once per app in the system preferences, and this does require root password or touch id, but a well-behaved app would not bypass that. A well-behaved app would guide you through granting it this permission in a supported way.
        dudus 4y ago
        So a well behaved app is harder to install by your own standards. Not surprised Zoom skipped that for a more streamlined setup. UX is king
exyi 4y ago
Even web apps have access to these (when they ask for it)
IshKebab 4y ago
The only thing I can think of that Zoom needs root for is its (very helpful!) offer to restart Mac's audio subsystem when it crashes (which it does fairly regularly in my experience). That said, it could just ask for your password at the time.
- voxadam 4y ago
  I thought the audio subsystem in Mac OS was the best of the bunch (Windows, Mac, and Linux). At least that's what I was told by my old audio geek friends that swore by Mac OS. Why would a video chat app need to be regularly restarting a crashed subsystem? Also, even if the subsystem crashed why wouldn't launchd or the kernel take care of restarting it?
  - throw_m239339 4y ago
    It is the best, it's low latency and very stable contrary to Windows shitty high latency direct sound API which is a complete mess. So much that Steinberg had to develop some respectable universal audio drivers for windows called ASIO, Microsoft never cared about the issue.
  - IshKebab 4y ago
    It might be better in terms of latency (I have no idea) but it's way buggier than Windows'. Crashes all the time for me. Plus it has some stupid missing features like volume control isn't implemented for HDMI audio (it is on Windows) and you can't capture the audio output - at least without fairly extreme hacks. It's a lot easier on Windows. I haven't used sound on Linux for a long time but when I did it was in a completely different league to Mac and Windows - in a bad way.
    - happymellon 4y ago
      > I haven't used sound on Linux for a long time but when I did it was in a completely different league to Mac and Windows - in a bad way. I am not a sound engineer. I don't do music composition. I am simply a user who wants things to work. Sound hasn't been an issue for me in Linux (as a user) for a long time. There was a period when the audio system was replaced with Pulse, which was terrible as they published Beta software to end users, but that quickly fixed itself and we are talking 20 years ago. Linux audio has been by far the best for usability for me. I also understand that the latency issue has been dramatically improved over the decades with the current situation with Pipewire being excellent. If it has been a long time since you have used Linux sound, then just be aware that it is not the same as it was. My Mac refusing to adjust the volume via HDMI I assumed was a feature to push towards buying an Apple display.
ben174 4y ago
Then Zoom should ask for those permissions, like every other app does. If we make it an admin, we have problems like these.

Zoom needs a ton of probably admin rights required access for it's features - raw access to mic and camera, screen sharing, remote control, etc.

by sofixa 4y ago

Zoom needs a ton of probably admin rights required access for it's features - raw access to mic and camera, screen sharing, remote control, etc.

thejosh 4y ago

If the app needs to access a feature, ask for it via the native app, isn't that what phones do? (I think?) Chrome has to go through the hoops on Mac every time it updates to re-allow it in Privacy Settings for Google Hangouts to work. It's such a pain.

krono 4y ago

Nope, that's what the protected resources API is for. https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/information_property_list/protected_resources https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/in...

sofixa 4y ago
Doesn't Zoom predate these by like years?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- grishka 4y ago
  You never needed root for any of this on macOS.
  - sofixa 4y ago
    Even remote control?
    - grishka 4y ago
      Even remote control, or, in general, input interception/injection. That's done via accessibility APIs I believe, and these do need to be enabled once per app in the system preferences, and this does require root password or touch id, but a well-behaved app would not bypass that. A well-behaved app would guide you through granting it this permission in a supported way.
      - dudus 4y ago
        So a well behaved app is harder to install by your own standards. Not surprised Zoom skipped that for a more streamlined setup. UX is king

exyi 4y ago

Even web apps have access to these (when they ask for it)

IshKebab 4y ago

The only thing I can think of that Zoom needs root for is its (very helpful!) offer to restart Mac's audio subsystem when it crashes (which it does fairly regularly in my experience). That said, it could just ask for your password at the time.

voxadam 4y ago
I thought the audio subsystem in Mac OS was the best of the bunch (Windows, Mac, and Linux). At least that's what I was told by my old audio geek friends that swore by Mac OS. Why would a video chat app need to be regularly restarting a crashed subsystem? Also, even if the subsystem crashed why wouldn't launchd or the kernel take care of restarting it?
- throw_m239339 4y ago
  It is the best, it's low latency and very stable contrary to Windows shitty high latency direct sound API which is a complete mess. So much that Steinberg had to develop some respectable universal audio drivers for windows called ASIO, Microsoft never cared about the issue.
- IshKebab 4y ago
  It might be better in terms of latency (I have no idea) but it's way buggier than Windows'. Crashes all the time for me. Plus it has some stupid missing features like volume control isn't implemented for HDMI audio (it is on Windows) and you can't capture the audio output - at least without fairly extreme hacks. It's a lot easier on Windows. I haven't used sound on Linux for a long time but when I did it was in a completely different league to Mac and Windows - in a bad way.
  - happymellon 4y ago
    > I haven't used sound on Linux for a long time but when I did it was in a completely different league to Mac and Windows - in a bad way. I am not a sound engineer. I don't do music composition. I am simply a user who wants things to work. Sound hasn't been an issue for me in Linux (as a user) for a long time. There was a period when the audio system was replaced with Pulse, which was terrible as they published Beta software to end users, but that quickly fixed itself and we are talking 20 years ago. Linux audio has been by far the best for usability for me. I also understand that the latency issue has been dramatically improved over the decades with the current situation with Pipewire being excellent. If it has been a long time since you have used Linux sound, then just be aware that it is not the same as it was. My Mac refusing to adjust the volume via HDMI I assumed was a feature to push towards buying an Apple display.

ben174 4y ago

Then Zoom should ask for those permissions, like every other app does. If we make it an admin, we have problems like these.