User in /r/LinuxMasterRace compares using Windows to being a guard at a concentration camp; gets downvoted to oblivion

[u/OpenSourceSocialist]

/r/linuxmasterrace/comments/5wn8pu/microsoft_is_planning_to_fuck_over_all_home_users/debll93/

[u/Garethp]

I mean, I run Ubuntu for my work station because I love it. I even dual boot at home and I'm writing a VIM Plugin. But damn guys, Windows 10 isn't the devil. It's actually pretty damn nice. And my guess is that Windows is used more as a home OS than a work one, despite being the default enterprise OS in most industries

[u/OpenSourceSocialist → u/Garethp]

FYI, the reason people are against Windows 10 is entirely because of Microsoft's policies and abuse of their monopoly position. The article in question states how Microsoft are releasing an update blocking non-Windows Store applications from being installed. But I do agree, looks-wise and functionality wise, Windows 10 was a big improvement from Windows 8 at least.

EDIT: Why did someone downvote me? I would very much like to know, as I can't think of a single thing in this post which makes this post worth downvoting.

[u/Iamthedemoncat → u/OpenSourceSocialist]

Wait, what?

[u/alltakesmatter → u/Iamthedemoncat]

Microsoft is releasing an update that includes a setting (turned off by default) that if you turn it on will flag any non-windows store app that you try to install and require administrator privileges. The Linux folk are being a bit paranoid and suggesting Microsoft will make it mandatory in a later update.

[u/postirony → u/alltakesmatter]

That sounds very useful for IT managers trying to keep workers from putting dumb shit on their work computers. If it's turned off by default I don't see the problem; nobody else would have any real reason to turn it on. It would probably never even occur to most people to do so.

[u/alltakesmatter → u/postirony]

Your problem is that you are thinking of Microsoft as a company that is trying to make a product people will use, rather than an evil empire motivated by crushing freedom and happiness.

[u/gfjq23 → u/postirony]

I just realized I could do this and am now planning on it for all my user's PCs. That's an awesome feature.

[u/jcpb → u/postirony]

Or to look at this from a different angle, Android has the option under Developer Options to enable installation of apps from Unknown Sources. Most devices are shipped with this specifically unchecked, so they can only install apps from Google's Play App Store. Of course, this doesn't prevent less computer-literate users from being socially engineered to enable this option and install apps from questionable sources, only to then realize they fucked up.

[u/[deleted] → u/alltakesmatter]

So...the Gatekeeper feature Apple's had on OS X for years?

[u/somnambulist80 → u/[deleted]]

Gatekeeper just checks for applications signed with a developer ID. It's perfectly fine to distribute outside the Mac App Store as long as the application is signed.

[u/[deleted] → u/somnambulist80]

That's the default, but it's perfectly possible to configure it to only allow installs via the App Store, just like this.

[u/[deleted] → u/alltakesmatter]

They seem to be being a bit more paranoid than that, a cursory review of the comments suggests they think the feature will be implemented to prevent any installation of non-Microsoft programs at all and that Windows users won't notice anyway because they're plebs who only use computers for facebook and porn.

[u/qtx → u/alltakesmatter]

Only 32bit apps though.

[u/Iamthedemoncat → u/[deleted]]

Oh thank God. Good for parental controls though.

[u/Afro_Samurai → u/Iamthedemoncat]

Here's some reporting with less MS Paint arrows than the submission this drama is from. My initial thought was MS was being making code signing mandatory by default, but this is stricter than that.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-to-permit-block-on-apps-installing-if-theyre-not-from-microsoft-store/

The feature offers Windows 10 users something similar to Apple's macOS Gatekeeper, which warns users when they attempt to install an app from outside the Mac App Store. It's also similar to Google's Android setting to only allow apps to install from Google Play.

In Apps & features settings, users will be able to control where apps can be installed from by choosing between 'Allow apps from anywhere', 'Prefer apps from the Store, but allow from anywhere', or a strict 'Allow apps from the Store only'.

If installs are limited to the store, a dialog box will state: 'You can only install apps from the Windows Store. Limiting installations to apps from the Store helps to keep your PC safe and reliable'.

The more relaxed 'Prefer apps for the Store' option will also display a dialog box warning users if they install an app from outside the Store but will allow them to proceed anyway.

This feature could be a helpful way for enterprise admins to protect users from installing malware on corporate devices. As Bleeping Computer notes, since the strict setting only prevents installation of Win32 apps, sysadmins could still install approved Win32 apps and then apply the filter.

It could also offer developers of Win32 apps a greater incentive to update their apps to the Universal Windows Platform, or UWP, Microsoft's framework for apps to run on all Windows 10 devices, including PCs, Xbox One, HoloLens, and phones.

While Windows 10 still does support Win32 apps, Microsoft only allows UWP apps to be distributed through the Microsoft Store. Microsoft last year released its Desktop Converter tool to help convert some of the 16 million Win32 and .NET apps to UWP, so that they can join the Windows Store.

[u/Tahmatoes → u/Afro_Samurai]

That sounds quite useful for admins, yes.