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Is it possible to allow sideloading and keep users safe?

(shkspr.mobi)
205 points ColinWright | 3 comments | 30 Aug 25 12:03 UTC | HN request time: 0.688s | source
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m463 ◴[31 Aug 25 05:39 UTC] No.45080628[source]▶
"sideloading" connotates something that is negative.

On systems before apple's locked-down iphone, it was just called "installing".

The PC revolution started with people just inserting their software into the comptuer and running it. You didn't have to ask the computer manufacturer or the OS vendor permission to do it.

And note that apple doesn't allow you to protect yourself. You cannot install a firewall and block arbitrary software on your phone. For example, you can not block apple telemetry.

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1. Animats ◴[01 Sep 25 00:11 UTC] No.45088266[source]▶
> On systems before apple's locked-down iphone, it was just called "installing".

If the phone people could make a solid permissions system, this wouldn't be a problem. Applications should by default be able to read their own install files, and have dedicated directories for their local storage, caches, and such. They can make network connections to their home site, if the user allows it. That's all they get.

This covers most games. What else does it cover?

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2. MrDrMcCoy ◴[01 Sep 25 03:04 UTC] No.45089057[source]▶
That would cover almost every app that doesn't need camera, microphone, or GPS access to work. GPS access infuriates me, because so many lazy developers either don't allow the app to run without it, or never test it, so searching by zip code never works.
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3. ◴[01 Sep 25 06:30 UTC] No.45090034[source]▶