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Midas wrote: ↑Thu Mar 12, 2020 7:18 am ... until now it didn't have things like microphone support, or the functionality to configure different aspects of the sandbox like networking, shared folders, startup scripts, or vGPU.

I did hope the push a few years ago toward improving security would include a comprehensive sandbox but *shrug* Anyway, very glad to hear it.

webfork wrote: ↑I did hope the push a few years ago toward improving security...

Yep, it looks like the bigger they are the less these mega-corps will do on behalf of Joe Six-pack... Schumpeter had it right more than half a century ago: small is beautiful.

Here's a punchy quote from an otherwise pretty good post-install tweaking guide...

I'm quite happy with Windows as the operating system. What I detest is the wave of new-age bullshit that's affected the desktop ever since the mobile frenzy took hold of the intellectually challenged masses.

YMMV, my first resource in the same instance would still be Debotnet (viewtopic.php?t=24728).

Midas wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 5:46 pm Here's a punchy quote from an otherwise pretty good post-install tweaking guide...

I'm quite happy with Windows as the operating system.

Actually reading through that made me not want to use Windows anymore. I agree with most of the changes he made but dear god I don't have an entire Saturday to blow just turn off a 1,000 different either resource or privacy-harming junk. I mean, if you have to do all that (and presumably will have to do it in the future if updates turn off some or all of your changes), how is that a good operating system?

Still if I've got to run Windows, I'm glad someone took all that time to write it down.

webfork wrote:How is that a good operating system?

I ask myself precisely the same.

Sadly, it isn't restricted anymore to the Windows camp, as various privacy related issues rage through the tech camp.

Take Linux for instance and the years old 'systemd' debate -- old news, a done deal, by the majority of users, since it just works.

Yet, in its unstoppable plodding march to become the one and only system userland authority (I hear its last advance is taking over the omnipresent '/home' directory workings), it's increasingly ripe to stealthily switch your machine to do whatever the distro developers see fit, including gobbling up all your data and send it remotely to whomever.

Oh, that's not its purpose, most will say, and they'll be right -- but it isn't like it hasn't happened before: just take a closer look at Android.

In the end, even the best origins will always yield to the old golden rule, i.e., those who possess the gold will dictate the rules.

Midas wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 7:20 am I ask myself precisely the same.

This week I ended up doing a Win10 install so this whole topic came home in a big way. The various different methods to resolve this (including some items from this thread) are definitely not what I was hoping would happen in computers at this stage. I'm not even sure what (for my purposes) Win10 offers that's an improvement over previous operating systems apart from a bit better alt+tab system and multiple desktops.

webfork wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 9:22 pm I'm not even sure what (for my purposes) Win10 offers that's an improvement over previous operating systems apart from a bit better alt+tab system and multiple desktops.

Some improvements which matter to me:

• Dark mode in Windows Explorer
• New file overwrite dialog
• Mouse wheel scrolls whichever window it's over (instead of the active window)
• Per monitor DPI awareness
• Much improved Task Manager
• Windows Terminal available

SYSTEM wrote:

• Windows Terminal

For anyone interested, Windows Terminal is also available from https://github.com/Microsoft/Terminal. (Windows 10 only)

In somewhat related news:

Ubuntu’s overall share of operating system usage ballooned from 0.27% in March to 1.89% in April. To put that in perspective, that’s an increase of 599%.

Forshaw’s research exposes a vulnerability for the sandbox of all major browsers to updates in Windows 10. I have followed this up with Firefox, Opera, Brave and Microsoft and will update when I have more information.

Midas wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 1:06 am

Forshaw’s research exposes a vulnerability for the sandbox of all major browsers to updates in Windows 10. I have followed this up with Firefox, Opera, Brave and Microsoft and will update when I have more information.

www.forbes.com /sites/gordonkelly/2020/04/23/google-chrome-critical-security-exploit-windows-10-upgrade-warning-update-chrome-browser/

For the record, the security researcher who found the vulnerability noted that the Forbes headline is very misleading: https://mobile.twitter.com/tiraniddo/st ... 1110643714

I agree. It's all a matter of interpretation -- and, as everyone and their cousin seems to be using Chrome this days, little thought is given to the few remaining outliers...

Seen a few days ago:

Beginning with Windows 10 version 2004, which is already available to OEMs and developers, the company is no longer offering a 32-bit version of the OS to OEMs for new PCs.

So there's a new Windows PowerToys program out that you should grab if you wish you had more control over arrangement of programs on your screen:

https://www.itpro.co.uk/software/operat ... -powertoys

I've been happy with the virtual desktops program that comes with Win10 by default, but arranging windows still isn't ideal for me, and some older tools I loved have had mixed results on the new OS. Fortunately, a new PowerToys function (from Microsoft) adds some things, including a way to arrange windows and a powershell renamer.

Appears to be in some form of beta, but worked fine in testing.

Incidentally and of particular interest for our local needs and goals, here's a short tutorial on how to use the novel Windows 10 sandbox functionality to run programs and scripts:

• How to test PS1, EXE, MSI installer in Windows Sandbox

I have not the faintest clue if this is even useful to detect system traces but it sure looks like an avenue worth exploring.

Windows 10 is getting a Built-In Linux Kernel...

https://www.howtogeek.com/413564/window ... nux-kernel

thepiney wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 8:16 am Windows 10 is getting a Built-In Linux Kernel...

Has anyone tested the Linux components in Win10? This one or the subsystem version? Are they any good?

Midas wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 11:24 am I have not the faintest clue if this is even useful to detect system traces but it sure looks like an avenue worth exploring.

On my particular rig, I don't appear to be able to use the included sandbox software, but I might have a second system setup in the next few months. Anyway, I one criticism for the Windows sandbox (it's a year old at this point and some points may not be accurate anymore): https://www.magnitude8.com.au/m8-blog/2 ... ws-sandbox was (in summary):

- No network-level isolation
- Can't use your own AV software

I'd like to know if you can track attempted changes or not, or if it just ignores changes. I'm seeing that with a lot of Sandboxing tools research. It's just kind of a software dead zone.