Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys • Hacker News Board

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#231

Post by radlad » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 4:52 PM UTC

Blikkentrekker wrote: post #205

inetknght wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I actually had this happen around Christmas (using Manjaro). I had no idea what the message really meant or what caused it. The instructions were at least clear enough to get back into the running session, which is far better than, say, most of GNOME's crap.

Our internal research found that clear error messages confused our users, so we removed it. I have no idea what KDE is or does, sorry.

Maybe the issue is what you consider a "clear error message"?

A clear error message should not necessarily clearly explain what the issue is - a clear error message should clearly explain how to solve the issue, or at least point the user in the direction of a solution.

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#232

Post by technothrasher » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 4:55 PM UTC

I remember finding a very similar issue with XDM on a Sun 3/60 back in about 1992. Just mash the keyboard while in the 'password' field and it would eventually drop a root shell. Oops!

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#233

Post by genpfault » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 4:56 PM UTC

inetknght wrote: post #214

Blikkentrekker wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our internal research found that clear error messages confused our users, so we removed it. I have no idea what KDE is or does, sorry.

> Our internal research found that clear error messages confused our users and removed it. I can't tell if this is sarcasm or if you're serious. If you're serious, please tell me what product you've butchered so I can avoid it like the plague. Clear error messages only confuse people who shouldn't be using the product in the first place. More importantly: a clear error message at the cost of a few confused users is f…

Given the "I have no idea what KDE is or does, sorry." I suspect it's a reference to the 'ole "I have no idea what XFCE is or does sorry."[1][2]

[1]: https://trac.transmissionbt.com/ticket/3685#comment:4

[2]: https://web.archive.org/web/20130429182829/http://www.linuxu...

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#234

Post by chromatin » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 4:59 PM UTC

Meatspace fuzzing

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#235

Post by Leherenn » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 5:00 PM UTC

mercora wrote: post #207

Leherenn wrote: post #113

Another tangentially linked anecdote. We had build artefacts stored on a Samba shared drive, that were write protected, since some people regularly used to move them instead of copying them. Then one day, the latest build was gone again. We asked around to see whether someone had purposefully removed the build, but no. Turns out someone on Windows 10 had tried to cut and paste the file, but his computer had crashed b…

i don't think these permissions are enforced client side... I also think write and delete are separate permissions on windows and i am pretty sure i never lost a file on accidentally doing only the first halt of a cut and paste aka move... so i conclude this "someone" either had nothing to do with the incident or removed it by accident...

I was surprised as well, but we could reproduce it. Delete would not work, "normal" cut and paste would throw an error when pasting, but cut and switch off power -> file was gone.

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#236

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 5:01 PM UTC

gambiting wrote: post #7

Does anyone know why lockscreens in Linux have been such a joke? I remember trying Ubuntu couple years ago and when waking up my laptop it would show me my entire desktop with all the information displayed right there in the open for about 10-20 seconds before suddenly engaging the lockscreen. All you had to do was close the lid and open it again and you could just copy whatever was on the screen before the lock scre…

[deleted]

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#237

Post by Blikkentrekker » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 5:05 PM UTC

inetknght wrote: post #214

Blikkentrekker wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our internal research found that clear error messages confused our users, so we removed it. I have no idea what KDE is or does, sorry.

> Our internal research found that clear error messages confused our users and removed it. I can't tell if this is sarcasm or if you're serious. If you're serious, please tell me what product you've butchered so I can avoid it like the plague. Clear error messages only confuse people who shouldn't be using the product in the first place. More importantly: a clear error message at the cost of a few confused users is f…

> I can't tell if this is sarcasm or if you're serious.

It is entirely sarcastic, mocking some of GNOME's more infamous design proclivities.

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#238

Post by benibela » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 5:07 PM UTC

joshspankit wrote: post #124

My own anecdote: My daughter was 1ish at the time, and I sat her down while I grabbed something from the fridge. Windows 98, locked. When I came back the screensaver was on, the password dialog was still up, but the desktop was fully functional in front of it . I could navigate, open applications, and everything else. Still no idea how she did it, but that’s not the first or last time she surprised me :)

There is this classic: https://i.imgur.com/rG0p0b2.gif

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#239

Post by inetknght » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 5:07 PM UTC

radlad wrote: post #231

Blikkentrekker wrote: post #205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Our internal research found that clear error messages confused our users, so we removed it. I have no idea what KDE is or does, sorry.

Maybe the issue is what you consider a "clear error message"? A clear error message should not necessarily clearly explain what the issue is - a clear error message should clearly explain how to solve the issue, or at least point the user in the direction of a solution.

At a minimum, a clear error message should include a contact point and what information to include. If error logs are available, they must be available for inspection, annotation, and approval before submission.

Re: Kids find a security flaw in Linux Mint by mashing keys

#240

Post by vetinari » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 5:08 PM UTC

xorcist wrote: post #105

canofbars wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whether wayland is ready for you basically comes down to 2 questions: * Do you use a nvidia GPU * Do you need to screen share from electron or other x11 only applications (MS teams, etc) Its ready if you said no to both of those.

> Do you need to screen share from electron or other x11 only applications Doesn't XWayland solve this?

No, but Pipewire does, and it works under both X11 and Wayland.

Firefox supports Pipewire, Chrome has it behind experimental flag. Electron apps like Skype or Teams? Forget it.