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gspencleyHNSource author
Lessons learnedExperience excerpt · English

One of the things that really worries me is that this seems to be creeping in to desktop OS's as …

… One of the things that really worries me is that this seems to be creeping in to desktop OS's as well. It's still possible, for now, to install software on Windows 11 without going through the "Microsoft Store", but I remember having to tweak some security settings to make that possible... and was really alarmed the first time I tried to install software on a fresh install and got blocked and directed to the Microsoft Store. I've always had mixed feelings about RMS and FSF, mostly due to their hardline attitudes (I'm not opposed to proprietary closed-source software even if I have a preference for FOSS... I think there's room for both) but this trend of software installation gate-keeping that came from mobile has me really worried (and I've never been much of a mobile user either, so any creep from mobile into desktop is always unwelcome and alarming to me).

Original discussionWhat we talk about when we talk about sideloading629 source comments · at import
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baneHN

I'm struck with how long the history of Apple's earliest iPhone has shaped and produced long-term damage to the concept of digital ownership. Apple originally didn't allow anybody but Apple to create software for the 1st gen iPhone, and only later was forced "opening" it my market forces. People who realized they actually owned the thing they bought wanted to do what they wanted, which required circumventing Apple's control or "jailbreaking". This differentiator stimulated Google to "allow" installing on Android without "jailbreaking" the device aka "sideloading", giving the illusion of the kind of freedom that was never in question on normal computers. It is interesting though how this same conversation doesn't exist in the same way in other areas of computing like video game consoles or other embedded computing devices where the controls against arbitrary applications is even stronger.…

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SP
spogbiperHN

You're talking about "S mode" on Windows. This is not the default mode for a new Windows install but it is sometimes chosen by the device manufacturer or controlling organization for.. reasons? It can easily be disabled

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modo_marioHN

The first time this really hit for me was when i had to jump trough so many hoops to get the at the time most popular controller (ps3 controller) at the time to work with a windows pc due to microsofts hardware signing bullshit. I could order the most random stuff from aliexpress and it would work but not the competitions controller at the time.

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AurornisHN

> It's still possible, for now, to install software on Windows 11 without going through the "Microsoft Store", but I remember having to tweak some security settings to make that possible... and was really alarmed the first time I tried to install software on a fresh install and got blocked and directed to the Microsoft Store. I’ve done several fresh Windows 11 installs lately and haven’t seen this at all. As the other comment said, you must have used a machine that had a special mode set.

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