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Remote identity only works well when paired with cloud storage; otherwise, you have a recipe for confusion. It works for game consoles because the scope of what

Remote identity only works well when paired with cloud storage; otherwise, you have a recipe for confusion. It works for game consoles because the scope of what needs to be stored in the cloud per-user is reasonably limited. It is problematic for PCs because the remote identity service is free but the free tiers of OneDrive, iCloud, etc. are too limited to actually hold all of the user's data, and it's hard to clearly delineate what is or isn't synced when taking a mixed approach. Even smartphones have these problems, usually around text messages and full-resolution photos. It's much better for users to stick with a solution that's simple enough for non-technical users to have a chance of forming an accurate mental model and and have correct expectations about the availability and safety of their data. But that approach doesn't make it as easy to bundle and upsell subscription services, so that's not the usage model commercial operating systems try to promote.

cruffle_duffle 2y ago
> It is problematic for PCs because the remote identity service is free but the free tiers of OneDrive, iCloud, etc. are too limited to actually hold all of the user's data Not just that but bandwidth constraints as well. Especially upload bandwidth. I might have 1Gb/s down but I have only like 40Mb/s up. Even if I could make the device file system sparse and pull what it needs on demand, that stuff still needs to get uploaded initially. And on many internet connections, depending on the user content, it could be a while before the whole thing makes it into the cloud.
vel0city 2y ago
No, I still prefer remote identity even ignoring "cloud" storage. It is nice having my desktop session just be able to negotiate the permissions with my NAS seamlessly without needing to have a separate user account for the NAS. Same with accessing file shares on any of my devices. On top of that it's also nice having that same identity work across all of my computers. When I change my password on one computer it is changed on all the computers I use. I never have to think "what was the password for this computer again?" The same account on my gaming PC is the same account on my personal laptop, my main home server, my wife's tablet when I use that, other gaming PC's at friend's houses, etc. Personally, I really prefer using an IdP in my personal life, especially when its pretty stupid simple to set up and use. It can make a lot of things easier.
- wtallis 2y ago
  The kind of remote identity you're describing is what you can get with something relatively simple like LDAP. Unfortunately, that's not at all like what consumer operating systems are trying to support. Using a Microsoft account or iCloud account doesn't get you the easy NAS access, but does come with lots of other baggage.
  - vel0city 2y ago
    "Relatively" simple. Save for getting access at different locations where there's no VPN connectivity between. I don't think it's usually recommended to have your LDAP endpoint public. And running an LDAP host is probably beyond most users, but basic home users can easily make a Microsoft or iCloud account. And yes, using my Microsoft Account gets me pretty easy access to my NAS. I just grant permissions to MicrosoftAccount\me@hotmail.com and I get permissions. I just set it to MicrosoftAccount\my_wife@outlook.com and it works. I just grant it to MicrosoftAccount\my_friend@gmail.com (Microsoft accounts can be tied to any email) and it works. I don't really experience much baggage though. Running an LDAP server to do it all comes with far more baggage and management woes for a home deployment. Trust me, I did it for many years before Windows 8+ was widespread. Domain trusts to log into friend's and family's computers with my account was pretty complex to manage and maintain along with actually bothering with site to site VPN connectivity. And when that one friend manages to wipe his forest root without backups...oof.
    - wtallis 2y ago
      > And yes, using my Microsoft Account gets me pretty easy access to my NAS. I just grant permissions to MicrosoftAccount\me@hotmail.com and I get permissions. I just set it to MicrosoftAccount\my_wife@outlook.com and it works. I just grant it to MicrosoftAccount\my_friend@gmail.com (Microsoft accounts can be tied to any email) and it works. What NAS, exactly? And how does it handle non-Windows clients? What you're describing doesn't seem to be something that eg. run of the mill Samba offers, and it's something that Microsoft seems to be changing with every major version of Windows. > Save for getting access at different locations where there's no VPN connectivity between. Getting access to what?

cruffle_duffle 2y ago

> It is problematic for PCs because the remote identity service is free but the free tiers of OneDrive, iCloud, etc. are too limited to actually hold all of the user's data Not just that but bandwidth constraints as well. Especially upload bandwidth. I might have 1Gb/s down but I have only like 40Mb/s up. Even if I could make the device file system sparse and pull what it needs on demand, that stuff still needs to get uploaded initially. And on many internet connections, depending on the user content, it could be a while before the whole thing makes it into the cloud.

vel0city 2y ago

No, I still prefer remote identity even ignoring "cloud" storage. It is nice having my desktop session just be able to negotiate the permissions with my NAS seamlessly without needing to have a separate user account for the NAS. Same with accessing file shares on any of my devices. On top of that it's also nice having that same identity work across all of my computers. When I change my password on one computer it is changed on all the computers I use. I never have to think "what was the password for this computer again?" The same account on my gaming PC is the same account on my personal laptop, my main home server, my wife's tablet when I use that, other gaming PC's at friend's houses, etc. Personally, I really prefer using an IdP in my personal life, especially when its pretty stupid simple to set up and use. It can make a lot of things easier.

wtallis 2y ago
The kind of remote identity you're describing is what you can get with something relatively simple like LDAP. Unfortunately, that's not at all like what consumer operating systems are trying to support. Using a Microsoft account or iCloud account doesn't get you the easy NAS access, but does come with lots of other baggage.
- vel0city 2y ago
  "Relatively" simple. Save for getting access at different locations where there's no VPN connectivity between. I don't think it's usually recommended to have your LDAP endpoint public. And running an LDAP host is probably beyond most users, but basic home users can easily make a Microsoft or iCloud account. And yes, using my Microsoft Account gets me pretty easy access to my NAS. I just grant permissions to MicrosoftAccount\me@hotmail.com and I get permissions. I just set it to MicrosoftAccount\my_wife@outlook.com and it works. I just grant it to MicrosoftAccount\my_friend@gmail.com (Microsoft accounts can be tied to any email) and it works. I don't really experience much baggage though. Running an LDAP server to do it all comes with far more baggage and management woes for a home deployment. Trust me, I did it for many years before Windows 8+ was widespread. Domain trusts to log into friend's and family's computers with my account was pretty complex to manage and maintain along with actually bothering with site to site VPN connectivity. And when that one friend manages to wipe his forest root without backups...oof.
  - wtallis 2y ago
    > And yes, using my Microsoft Account gets me pretty easy access to my NAS. I just grant permissions to MicrosoftAccount\me@hotmail.com and I get permissions. I just set it to MicrosoftAccount\my_wife@outlook.com and it works. I just grant it to MicrosoftAccount\my_friend@gmail.com (Microsoft accounts can be tied to any email) and it works. What NAS, exactly? And how does it handle non-Windows clients? What you're describing doesn't seem to be something that eg. run of the mill Samba offers, and it's something that Microsoft seems to be changing with every major version of Windows. > Save for getting access at different locations where there's no VPN connectivity between. Getting access to what?