Dell Adding Hardware Privacy Driver For Linux

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  • f0rmat
    replied
    Originally posted by ssokolow View Post

    If I were going that far, I'd probably just open up the case, desolder one lead from the LED, and wrap it in electrical tape to prevent shorts.
    I have done that to, but there were times I simply could not get the soldering pencil in the tight area. The Permatex fix is quite quck.

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  • ssokolow
    replied
    Originally posted by f0rmat View Post

    I actually used an automotive sealant called Permatex on one system one time. The LED was dimpled in just a little bit and the case was flat black. The light was insanely bright, too. I put some Permatex black on it (scraping it flat with the case) and nothing came through after it set. But most people would not have that stuff on hand unless you tinker with cars - it is cheap. Additional, it can be pried out (carefully) if you decide to remove it later.
    If I were going that far, I'd probably just open up the case, desolder one lead from the LED, and wrap it in electrical tape to prevent shorts.

    Leave a comment:


  • f0rmat
    replied
    Originally posted by Paradigm Shifter View Post
    Perhaps I'm just more/overly sensitive, or perhaps the electrical tape I can get easily here is thinner than elsewhere, but I find it blocks LEDs (blue in particular) poorly. I need multiple layers (up to six on each LED on my KVM! Those things are insanely bright) to block it adequately, and it can leave a residue behind. Tiny balls of Blu-tac are so much easier, if less aesthetically pleasing. That said, mini stacks of electrical tape look kind of ugly too.
    I actually used an automotive sealant called Permatex on one system one time. The LED was dimpled in just a little bit and the case was flat black. The light was insanely bright, too. I put some Permatex black on it (scraping it flat with the case) and nothing came through after it set. But most people would not have that stuff on hand unless you tinker with cars - it is cheap. Additional, it can be pried out (carefully) if you decide to remove it later.

    Leave a comment:


  • Paradigm Shifter
    replied
    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.
    Perhaps I'm just more/overly sensitive, or perhaps the electrical tape I can get easily here is thinner than elsewhere, but I find it blocks LEDs (blue in particular) poorly. I need multiple layers (up to six on each LED on my KVM! Those things are insanely bright) to block it adequately, and it can leave a residue behind. Tiny balls of Blu-tac are so much easier, if less aesthetically pleasing. That said, mini stacks of electrical tape look kind of ugly too.

    Leave a comment:


  • ssokolow
    replied
    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.

    Leave a comment:


  • f0rmat
    replied
    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.

    Leave a comment:


  • ssokolow
    replied
    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.

    Leave a comment:


  • f0rmat
    replied
    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).

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  • Old Grouch
    replied
    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.

    Leave a comment:


  • CochainComplex
    replied
    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.

    Leave a comment:

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