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"The overwhelming majority of their users will never touch it." That's unless they want to install any app currently available on the Web that isn't signed. Th

by nkassis 15y ago

"The overwhelming majority of their users will never touch it." That's unless they want to install any app currently available on the Web that isn't signed. There is a lot of legacy software people keep using, even Mac users. I don't see that setting staying default for very long.

WiseWeasel 15y ago
Not to mention DVD rippers and pirated copies of Office and Creative Suite.
- danudey 15y ago
  There's no reason you couldn't sign a DVD ripping app; all that code signing will do is ensure that you are who you say you are. Since you don't have to distribute apps through the Mac App Store, you could sign up for a dev account, build your custom app, and distribute it however you want. For tools like that, this could actually be a big benefit - it lends a sense of credibility. You wouldn't be able to distribute modified (read: backdoored) binaries, and if you did people would know who you were (at least, to some extent, and Apple could revoke your credentials so no one else would inadvertently run your software). As for pirated software: I haven't seen a lot of actual 'cracks' lately; mostly it seems to be 'put in this serial plus set these hosts entries so it can't phone home' sort of thing. For app-modifying cracks, you'd have to disable this, but I'm not sure how common that is lately.
  - nkassis 15y ago
    But one of the things Apple can now do is void you keys and make all the apps on people computer unusable at least as I understand it. So for legally dubious application this wouldn't be such a good idea.
  - nkassis 15y ago
    But one of the things Apple can now do is void you keys and make all the apps on people computer unusable at least as I understand it. So for legally dubious application this wouldn't be such a good idea.
  - WiseWeasel 15y ago
    Apple would likely revoke the certificate for the developer of a DVD ripper, simply to avoid the liability.
Someone 15y ago
The way I understand it, one can override the setting on a per application basis by control-clicking an app and choosing "Open" _once_. I would hope that would make Apple sign those apps ins some way, bu I do not think they will, as they will not want to store the master key of doing that on the user's disk. Also, apparently, all applications already installed get this magic applied automatically.
kemiller 15y ago
According to a screenshot the Macworld Hands-on (http://www.macworld.com/article/165407/2012/02/hands_on_with_apples_new_os_x_mountain_lion.html http://www.macworld.com/article/165407/2012/02/hands_on_with...) you can whitelist individual apps on the fly.
- sukuriant 15y ago
  If that is the case, that's actually incredibly useful.

by nkassis 15y ago

WiseWeasel 15y ago

Not to mention DVD rippers and pirated copies of Office and Creative Suite.

danudey 15y ago
There's no reason you couldn't sign a DVD ripping app; all that code signing will do is ensure that you are who you say you are. Since you don't have to distribute apps through the Mac App Store, you could sign up for a dev account, build your custom app, and distribute it however you want. For tools like that, this could actually be a big benefit - it lends a sense of credibility. You wouldn't be able to distribute modified (read: backdoored) binaries, and if you did people would know who you were (at least, to some extent, and Apple could revoke your credentials so no one else would inadvertently run your software). As for pirated software: I haven't seen a lot of actual 'cracks' lately; mostly it seems to be 'put in this serial plus set these hosts entries so it can't phone home' sort of thing. For app-modifying cracks, you'd have to disable this, but I'm not sure how common that is lately.
- nkassis 15y ago
  But one of the things Apple can now do is void you keys and make all the apps on people computer unusable at least as I understand it. So for legally dubious application this wouldn't be such a good idea.
- nkassis 15y ago
  But one of the things Apple can now do is void you keys and make all the apps on people computer unusable at least as I understand it. So for legally dubious application this wouldn't be such a good idea.
- WiseWeasel 15y ago
  Apple would likely revoke the certificate for the developer of a DVD ripper, simply to avoid the liability.

Someone 15y ago

The way I understand it, one can override the setting on a per application basis by control-clicking an app and choosing "Open" _once_. I would hope that would make Apple sign those apps ins some way, bu I do not think they will, as they will not want to store the master key of doing that on the user's disk. Also, apparently, all applications already installed get this magic applied automatically.

kemiller 15y ago

According to a screenshot the Macworld Hands-on (http://www.macworld.com/article/165407/2012/02/hands_on_with_apples_new_os_x_mountain_lion.html http://www.macworld.com/article/165407/2012/02/hands_on_with...) you can whitelist individual apps on the fly.

sukuriant 15y ago
If that is the case, that's actually incredibly useful.