Re: [platform-update-dev] Re: Update Manager Installs - Forcing the Use

[Dorian Birsan <birsan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I also have a reservation with features
specifying absolute paths. It has to do with potential security loopholes.

Currently, eclipse itself, and update
manager in particular, don't have a good security story. For example, custom
install handlers can execute from a downloaded, unsigned feature, so it
is not very safe. 
Allowing features to be automatically
installed to arbitrary paths (how many people click on each feature in
the target page to see where it is going?) will introduce more security
hazards. Once silent installs are supported there will be more issues (absolute
install paths is just one of them).

I like your idea of having an update
manager preference default.install.path that can be customized by users,
but features should not be able to change it. Well, properly behaving custom
install handler could do that.

-Dorian

Mel Martinez <melm@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: platform-update-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx

04/22/2004 02:12 PM

Please respond to
platform-update-dev

To	platform-update-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
cc	Mel Martinez <melm@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject	[platform-update-dev] Re: Update Manager Installs -  Forcing the Use of  a New Site

Peter,

You wrote:

> Mel wrote:
> > The body of native installers have a compelling convention of
offering
a
> > default path suggested by the vendor that the user can choose
to
> override.
> >
>
> Default path suggestted by the os vendor yes. So the current default
path

> for eclipse (as the os vendor for the eclipse platform) is the main
> eclipse directory. I am not saying that it is the best default path
or it

> shouldn't change just that that directory should not exist outside
of the

> eclipse domain (its directory structure). So if eclipse ships an
> eclipse\extensions directory that the update manager sets as the default
> install directory for new features thats great. Create as many extension
> subdirs under there as needed. Eclipse owns that area.
>
> I only have an issue with allowing eclipse to target directories outside
> the main eclipse directory that it owns.

What exactly is the issue that you have?

Seriously, Eclipse currently functions just fine right now making use of
extensions that are physically located independent of the Eclipse
installation.  Not only through the .link files, but purely through
adding
sites to the configuration.  For example, I have the plugin for using
ClearCase installed in my C:\tools\Rational\ClearCasePlugin directory.
  I
have added this to my configuration for different versions of Eclipse
(v2.1, v3m7 & v3m8), all of which are located themselves in their own
directories.

If I download and install ACME Widget Feature, it is not unreasonable that
either ACME or myself might not want it installed underneath the umbrella
of a particular eclipse install directory.

Give me a real issue on why absolute paths should not be allowed to be
suggested by the vendor so I can take that into consideration and possibly
we will redesign.  Comments like

> That what crosses the line into
> it becoming a native installer. So easy to stray to the dark side.
>

Don't really explain what the problem is.

Mel

Dr. Mel Martinez
IBM Rich Client Platform
melm@xxxxxxxxxx

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