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dist-epochyesterday at 3:56 PM2 repliesview on HN

What is the alternative to bash piping? If you don't trust the project install script, why would you trust the project itself? You can put malware in either.


Replies

jFriedensreichyesterday at 5:13 PM

That assumes you even need an install script. 90% of install scripts just check the platform and make the binary executable and put it in the right place. Just give me links to a github release page with immutable releases enabled and pure binaries. I download the binary but it in a temporary folder, run it with a seatbelt profile that logs what it does. Binaries should "just run" and at most access one folder in a place they show you and that is configurable! Fuck installers.

wang_liyesterday at 4:07 PM

It turns out that it's possible for the server to detect whether it is running via "| bash" or if it's just being downloaded. Inspecting it via download and then running that specific download is safer than sending it directly to bash, even if you download it and inspect it before redownloading it and piping it to a shell.

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