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Dell Adding Hardware Privacy Driver For Linux

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  • #31
    The first WiFi laptop I had, had a hardware toggle switch - a proper clunk-click job where one position was on and one was off. I loved that. It was easy to tell when wifi was enabled, because there was a physical indication. It had another for Bluetooth, because it was two separate devices. When it eventually gave up the ghost, the replacement still had a physical switch, but this time it was a momentary "snapback" switch, which gave no indication as to whether wifi was on or off, and also controlled the Bluetooth. All laptops I've owned since have been pure software solutions, and I strongly dislike them.

    Physical switches beat all. I've love a laptop with a physical cover over the camera (like the Lenovo PrivacyShields, or whatever they brand them as) and a proper physical wifi switch (preferably with a separate Bluetooth switch, but with combi-cards this is less likely as a hardware solution) and a physical microphone switch.

    Originally posted by skeevy420 View Post
    I agree with him too and I'm 35...36 in 26 days. As annoying as it is, I'm just more understanding than him that they're using the colors as a form of notification. It isn't really an old person thing, but it kind of feels like it when you see mostly younger people, teens and people in their 20s, being the ones into flashy lights and RGB GPUs and all that stuff.

    I hated my Roku TV in my bedroom when I first bought it a couple years ago. I didn't realize that it had this bright, bright white status light dead center on the bottom about 3 inches long with no options to turn it off so my bedtime routine ended up being stacking the first two books from the Vampire Chronicles up front of that light...couldn't tape it up because they placed the IR sensor in there...the bastards. About six months or a year later a firmware update added the ability to turn off the light bar. I was so happy.

    The PS4 is like using plugin-free GNOME or my Roku TV-- you have one way of doing it and if you don't like it you might as well consider yourself up the creek w/o a paddle because you may or may not get that feature.
    Blu-tac is your friend. It's much more precise than tape, and I've managed to cover the blue LED on my monitor, but leave the infrared sensor clear enough to use the remote from about two thirds of its "uncovered" angles. Stupid cheap monitor which doesn't have all the OSD controllable by physical buttons on the monitor... why a cheap monitor has an IR remote I don't understand either. Fashion? A bullet-point for marketing?

    It's blue LEDs that get me the most. They are the brightest of any colour, and for some reason are "fashionable", despite all the fuss about blue light being bad for eyes and sleep. When I was in the UK, I had satellite TV (Sky) and the box was blue-LED city. My KVM switch is the same - a nice, neat row of eight bright blue LEDs. Livable - just - at work, but at night I might as well not turn the light off in my apartment.

    My solution? Blu-tac everything. Even the light switches in my apartment have LEDs on them (supposedly to help you "find" them in the dark - but at least they're green...) so I've stuck Blu-tac on them too. I find the dichotomy very interesting; a constant push to have little lights everywhere, which can't be turned off, but then turn around and say that sleeping with high artificial ambient light is bad, blue lights are worse, etc... but... mai arr-gee-beees!

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    • #32
      The people complaining apparently haven't actually read the post. The driver is required to inform the OS and user about the device state. The switches are supposedly hardware-based and the driver is optional.

      A bare hardware switch with no software feedback would mean that the device would just suddenly and unexpectedly "fall off the bus". That isn't really great to handle in software. The driver probably helps to handle toggling in a more graceful manner.

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      • #33
        Originally posted by edwaleni View Post
        If people would start putting their clothes back on in front of their computer, better yet, stop having sex in front of it.............
        Or make sure the camera is "off" and not simply pointing down when you are taking a break in a Zoom meeting with multiple people - especially if you are a legal analyst on a major US cable news network.
        GOD is REAL unless declared as an INTEGER.

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        • #34
          Originally posted by CochainComplex View Post

          Scary - one reason more to buy ssd.
          The Israelis are very good at all things cyber...and information gathering. The may even figure out a way to that to an SSD.
          GOD is REAL unless declared as an INTEGER.

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          • #35
            Originally posted by ssokolow View Post

            Apparently the driver lets the OS read the status of the hardware kill switch and independently control the status LED... which isn't good for a security tool but I suppose it has uses similar to my hack for inverting the Numlock LED on X11.
            merge for dark room linux accepted.

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            • #36
              Originally posted by brent View Post
              The people complaining apparently haven't actually read the post. The driver is required to inform the OS and user about the device state. The switches are supposedly hardware-based and the driver is optional.

              A bare hardware switch with no software feedback would mean that the device would just suddenly and unexpectedly "fall off the bus". That isn't really great to handle in software. The driver probably helps to handle toggling in a more graceful manner.
              Well, I did read the post, but breaking with the tradition on the Internet of not reading the fine article, I actually had a look at the patch on the linux kernel mailing list. Unfair, I know.

              The text there is:

              add support for dell privacy driver for the dell units equipped hardware privacy design, which protect users privacy of audio and camera from hardware level. once the audio or camera privacy mode enabled, any applications will not get any audio or video stream. when user pressed ctrl+F4 hotkey, audio privacy mode will be enabled and camera mute hotkey is ctrl+F9.
              I would be surprised if ctrl-F4 and ctrl-F9 are hardware keys that physically disconnect microphone and camera respectively, but many years experience have taught me that life can be surprising: please go ahead and surprise me.

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              • #37
                Originally posted by Old Grouch View Post

                Well, I did read the post, but breaking with the tradition on the Internet of not reading the fine article, I actually had a look at the patch on the linux kernel mailing list. Unfair, I know.

                The text there is:



                I would be surprised if ctrl-F4 and ctrl-F9 are hardware keys that physically disconnect microphone and camera respectively, but many years experience have taught me that life can be surprising: please go ahead and surprise me.
                I have had nothing but bad luck with Dell computers....in my case (I am sure not everybody's), they always seem to have issue about a week after the warranty runs out. The three laptops that I seem to have the best luck with are HP, Asus, and Toshiba. Although it does take quite awhile to get rid of the HP and Asus bloatware. Usually, I just wiped them, re-partitioned, and did a fresh install. Then they worked with zero issues (well occasionally there would be issues with HP cameras, but that did not usually affect my workflow).
                GOD is REAL unless declared as an INTEGER.

                Comment


                • #38
                  Originally posted by Paradigm Shifter View Post
                  Blu-tac is your friend. It's much more precise than tape, and I've managed to cover the blue LED on my monitor, but leave the infrared sensor clear enough to use the remote from about two thirds of its "uncovered" angles. Stupid cheap monitor which doesn't have all the OSD controllable by physical buttons on the monitor... why a cheap monitor has an IR remote I don't understand either. Fashion? A bullet-point for marketing?

                  It's blue LEDs that get me the most. They are the brightest of any colour, and for some reason are "fashionable", despite all the fuss about blue light being bad for eyes and sleep. When I was in the UK, I had satellite TV (Sky) and the box was blue-LED city. My KVM switch is the same - a nice, neat row of eight bright blue LEDs. Livable - just - at work, but at night I might as well not turn the light off in my apartment.

                  My solution? Blu-tac everything. Even the light switches in my apartment have LEDs on them (supposedly to help you "find" them in the dark - but at least they're green...) so I've stuck Blu-tac on them too. I find the dichotomy very interesting; a constant push to have little lights everywhere, which can't be turned off, but then turn around and say that sleeping with high artificial ambient light is bad, blue lights are worse, etc... but... mai arr-gee-beees!
                  I prefer electrical tape because it comes in the most common colors and textures (i.e. matte, glossy) for case plastic, so carefully cutting a piece with a utility knife can produce something that, once carefully placed, is almost invisible and looks like it was put on at the factory.

                  Comment


                  • #39
                    Originally posted by ssokolow View Post

                    I prefer electrical tape because it comes in the most common colors and textures (i.e. matte, glossy) for case plastic, so carefully cutting a piece with a utility knife can produce something that, once carefully placed, is almost invisible and looks like it was put on at the factory.
                    I use a post it note sticky that way I can write a note on it - like remember the wife's birthday. Then I can change it out when I need to remember something else.
                    GOD is REAL unless declared as an INTEGER.

                    Comment


                    • #40
                      Originally posted by f0rmat View Post

                      I use a post it note sticky that way I can write a note on it - like remember the wife's birthday. Then I can change it out when I need to remember something else.
                      Too translucent. My electronics have dark-coloured cases and dark electrical tape blocks light very well.

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