zlacker

>>kotaKa+(OP)
Every day we stray farther from the premise that we should be allowed to install / modify software on the computers we own.

Will once again re-up the concept of a “right to root access”, to prevent big corps from pulling this bs over and over again: https://medhir.com/blog/right-to-root-access

>>medhir+Lg1
Tell that to all those assholes that are making malware and scamming society on billions.

Most of users are not able to keep themselves safe in the internet - they want to install all kind of crap without thinking too much.

All of this is companies making it possible that average Joe could just click links, install any kind of crap and still be somewhat secure.

>>ozim+2Y1
You don't have to prevent root access. You just have to inform user of the risks, void warranties if you want but let users do whatever they want with the hardware that they own.

>>fimdom+5Z1
> "void warranties if you want "

Please don't push the Overton Window any further. Installing my own software on my own PC should never void the hardware vendor's warranty. That delegitimizes the core concept of a PC.

(A horrific possible dystopia just flashed through my mind: "I'd love to throw out Chrome and install Firefox so that I could block ads, but, the laptop is expensive, and I can't afford voiding the warranty". I bet Google would *love* that world. Or, a UK version: "I'd love to use a VPN, but, regulation banned them from the approved software markets, and anything else would permanently set the WARRANTY_VIOLATED flag in the TPM").

>>perihe+r12
It depends on what your software does; if it removes hardware protections then your warranty should be voided. Of course, those protections are either hardware or impossible to remove, like emergency cooling / lowering voltage when stuff overheats.