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Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

pow.cx

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Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#61
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anybody can also spoof DNS entries to point rubygems.org/debian.org/centos.org/redhat.com to a malicious place where the packages contain postinstall scripts that run 'rm -rf /'.

Maybe for rubygems, not so easy for apt/rpm as they use gpg signing/verification of package indices.

RubyGems also have signing facilities. Most authors don't bother signing however because generating a key is too much trouble.

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just as anyone who can spoof DNS entries could swap some other theoretical Pow installer with a malicious one. I'm not seeing how Pow's installation process is any less secure than, say, downloading a disk image from a random site.

Not if it's served over SSL.

That has nothing to do with whether the installer is a shell script or a binary.

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#63
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So would, curl https://get.pow.cx/ | sh Fix your complaint? Like the grandparent said, I'm not sure why curl | sh is any less secure than gem install or whathaveyou, in the oh-god-this-script-just-ran-rm-rf-/ sense.

It would improve the situation but I'm still not a fan of perpetuating the pipe-into-shell idiom.

The only meaningful difference between the two techniques is the extra step required to explicitly execute an installer. Is that your objection, that you don't like something being automatically executed upon download?

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#64
post #63
post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would improve the situation but I'm still not a fan of perpetuating the pipe-into-shell idiom.

The only meaningful difference between the two techniques is the extra step required to explicitly execute an installer. Is that your objection, that you don't like something being automatically executed upon download?

HTTPS, automatic installation, and UX that confounds security for end-users are my three objections to this gimmick.

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#65
post #43

Hooray! No more mucking around in /etc/hosts, .rvmrc, or .profile! Now you can muck around in ~/Library/Application Support/Pow/Hosts, .powrc, and .powenv instead! Thanks but no thanks. Do yourself a favor and learn how to install rack and nginx. It's already dirt simple, and you'll save yourself having to go back and learn it when it's time to deploy your app somewhere other than your laptop.

Or, you could NOT muck about in ~/Library/Application Support/Pow/Hosts, .powrc, and .powenv, and just symlink your app directories into ~/.pow, which is probably how 99% of developers will use it.

In fairness to the parent post, it may not always be that simple. I installed, symlinked as you described and am currently looking at a page filled with "Pow: Error Starting Application". (Apparently it thinks I don't have Bundler installed. This is likely an issue because of pow + rvm + gemsets + factor x.)

The downside of zero configuration is "What do you do when it doesn't just work?" (I'm digging around the manual now...)

(A quick follow-up: The second app I symlinked in the exact same way does "Just work", so I don't doubt that there's something odd about my config for the first. Still, no fun to debug.)

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#66
post #64
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only meaningful difference between the two techniques is the extra step required to explicitly execute an installer. Is that your objection, that you don't like something being automatically executed upon download?

HTTPS, automatic installation, and UX that confounds security for end-users are my three objections to this gimmick.

I was assuming HTTPS based on this thread chain, but even in practice, most installers I see aren't downloaded over HTTPS.

How does this practice confound security more than a normal installer? sudo asks for my password just as a normal installer would.

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#67
post #64
post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The only meaningful difference between the two techniques is the extra step required to explicitly execute an installer. Is that your objection, that you don't like something being automatically executed upon download?

HTTPS, automatic installation, and UX that confounds security for end-users are my three objections to this gimmick.

I really don't see what's to object about. People who care about security can review it. People who just want it to work and don't care about security will blindly execute whatever instructions are written on the site. If the app is malicious then the latter group is screwed no matter what, doesn't matter whether it's 'curl | sh' or whether it's a .dmg/.zip/.tar.gz.

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#68
post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or, you could NOT muck about in ~/Library/Application Support/Pow/Hosts, .powrc, and .powenv, and just symlink your app directories into ~/.pow, which is probably how 99% of developers will use it.

In fairness to the parent post, it may not always be that simple. I installed, symlinked as you described and am currently looking at a page filled with "Pow: Error Starting Application". (Apparently it thinks I don't have Bundler installed. This is likely an issue because of pow + rvm + gemsets + factor x.) The downside of zero configuration is "What do you do when it doesn't just work?" (I'm digging around the manu…

As near as I can tell at the moment, it doesn't seem to respect any gemsets specified in your project .rvmrc, just the ruby interpreter specified.

Re: Introducing Pow, a zero-configuration Rack server for Mac OS X

#69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fairness to the parent post, it may not always be that simple. I installed, symlinked as you described and am currently looking at a page filled with "Pow: Error Starting Application". (Apparently it thinks I don't have Bundler installed. This is likely an issue because of pow + rvm + gemsets + factor x.) The downside of zero configuration is "What do you do when it doesn't just work?" (I'm digging around the manu…

As near as I can tell at the moment, it doesn't seem to respect any gemsets specified in your project .rvmrc, just the ruby interpreter specified.

Odd - my two apps have identical .rvmrc files (both using the same interpreter and gemset). Even odder, the first app is now working, and I'm completely not sure why.
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