5 ms·

We might also ask, why doesn't Linux also track such meta-data? Are Linux users not also subject to drive-by downloads impersonating valid files? Should we be o

We might also ask, why doesn't Linux also track such meta-data? Are Linux users not also subject to drive-by downloads impersonating valid files? Should we be one chmod a+x away from compromise?

danielheath 6mo ago
Yes, we should be. My computer should run programs when I tell it to run them. Don’t blunt _every_ tool just to make them harder to cut yourself on.
- angry_octet 6mo ago
  I hope you're in the very small minority of people who rigorously manage untrusted downloads and whitelist every binary, because you're operating an appliance from the 1970s, sticking a metal fork into an un-earthed toaster. Most people need help from their operating system.
  - b65e8bee43c2ed0 6mo ago
    then we, the very small minority, want a button to disable that help.
- Joker_vD 6mo ago
  I sincerely agree. By the way, thanks for lending your machine for my "Network-Retransmission-and-Compute-as-a-service" network.
- rtpg 6mo ago
  Increased metadata isn't tool blunting in itself though, even if MacOS uses it for being... annoying is one way of saying it. Provenance information bundled into a file is not the worst idea in the world IMO. We have created/modified timestamps on files already, right? There's definitely the question of "why" but hey if more of my binaries just had at least a tag about who put them there that would be a win in my book. Not an argument for doing what MacOS does, just an argument that the info would be nice to have.
- danishanish 6mo ago
  It’s not blunting a tool, it’s sheathing it. Modern software requires too much proxied trust for this attitude to work.
bitfilped 6mo ago
Should I be able to run files I download on my own computer? I think yes I should, hate fighting MacOS to do simple tasks because Apple engineers assume the end user has the average intelligence of an ostrich.
- shawn_w 6mo ago
  That might be an overly optimistic assumption for the typical user, to be fair.
emmelaich 6mo ago
Tar on linux will. e.g. selinux attrs and other xattrs. Open question, is it worth attempting to main these semantics between mac and linux.
- worthless-trash 6mo ago
  No, I just assume apple will break the behavior when they want to.
  - worthless-trash 6mo ago
    I'm downvoted, but why you cowards. Why is this assumption incorrect, apple have a long history of breaking away from standards when it doesn't suit them.
    - nextlsj 6mo ago
      [flagged]
nottorp 6mo ago
> Are Linux users not also subject to drive-by downloads impersonating valid files? Linux users generally install software with apt or rpm. Or steam. The existence of any executable file outside the system dirs it a red flag in itself.

We might also ask, why doesn't Linux also track such meta-data? Are Linux users not also subject to drive-by downloads impersonating valid files? Should we be one chmod a+x away from compromise?

danielheath 6mo ago

Yes, we should be. My computer should run programs when I tell it to run them. Don’t blunt _every_ tool just to make them harder to cut yourself on.

angry_octet 6mo ago
I hope you're in the very small minority of people who rigorously manage untrusted downloads and whitelist every binary, because you're operating an appliance from the 1970s, sticking a metal fork into an un-earthed toaster. Most people need help from their operating system.
- b65e8bee43c2ed0 6mo ago
  then we, the very small minority, want a button to disable that help.
Joker_vD 6mo ago
I sincerely agree. By the way, thanks for lending your machine for my "Network-Retransmission-and-Compute-as-a-service" network.
rtpg 6mo ago
Increased metadata isn't tool blunting in itself though, even if MacOS uses it for being... annoying is one way of saying it. Provenance information bundled into a file is not the worst idea in the world IMO. We have created/modified timestamps on files already, right? There's definitely the question of "why" but hey if more of my binaries just had at least a tag about who put them there that would be a win in my book. Not an argument for doing what MacOS does, just an argument that the info would be nice to have.
danishanish 6mo ago
It’s not blunting a tool, it’s sheathing it. Modern software requires too much proxied trust for this attitude to work.

bitfilped 6mo ago

Should I be able to run files I download on my own computer? I think yes I should, hate fighting MacOS to do simple tasks because Apple engineers assume the end user has the average intelligence of an ostrich.

shawn_w 6mo ago
That might be an overly optimistic assumption for the typical user, to be fair.

emmelaich 6mo ago

Tar on linux will. e.g. selinux attrs and other xattrs. Open question, is it worth attempting to main these semantics between mac and linux.

worthless-trash 6mo ago
No, I just assume apple will break the behavior when they want to.
- worthless-trash 6mo ago
  I'm downvoted, but why you cowards. Why is this assumption incorrect, apple have a long history of breaking away from standards when it doesn't suit them.
  - nextlsj 6mo ago
    [flagged]

nottorp 6mo ago

> Are Linux users not also subject to drive-by downloads impersonating valid files? Linux users generally install software with apt or rpm. Or steam. The existence of any executable file outside the system dirs it a red flag in itself.