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Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by angry_octet on Sunday May 03, 2026 @08:23PM (#48003107)
We might also ask, why doesn't Linux also track such meta-data? Are Linux users not also subject to drive-by downloads impersonating valid files? Should we be one chmod a+x away from compromise?
Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by danielheath on Sunday May 03, 2026 @08:32PM (#48003165)
Yes, we should be.

My computer should run programs when I tell it to run them.

Don’t blunt _every_ tool just to make them harder to cut yourself on.

Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by angry_octet on Sunday May 03, 2026 @09:00PM (#48003395)
I hope you're in the very small minority of people who rigorously manage untrusted downloads and whitelist every binary, because you're operating an appliance from the 1970s, sticking a metal fork into an un-earthed toaster. Most people need help from their operating system.
Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by b65e8bee43c2ed0 on Monday May 04, 2026 @12:10AM (#48004539)
then we, the very small minority, want a button to disable that help.
Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by rtpg on Sunday May 03, 2026 @10:08PM (#48003834)
Increased metadata isn't tool blunting in itself though, even if MacOS uses it for being... annoying is one way of saying it.

Provenance information bundled into a file is not the worst idea in the world IMO. We have created/modified timestamps on files already, right? There's definitely the question of "why" but hey if more of my binaries just had at least a tag about who put them there that would be a win in my book.

Not an argument for doing what MacOS does, just an argument that the info would be nice to have.

Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by danishanish on Sunday May 03, 2026 @11:28PM (#48004309)
It’s not blunting a tool, it’s sheathing it. Modern software requires too much proxied trust for this attitude to work.
Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by Joker_vD on Sunday May 03, 2026 @09:02PM (#48003408)
I sincerely agree. By the way, thanks for lending your machine for my "Network-Retransmission-and-Compute-as-a-service" network.
Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by emmelaich on Sunday May 03, 2026 @09:39PM (#48003646)
Tar on linux will. e.g. selinux attrs and other xattrs.

Open question, is it worth attempting to main these semantics between mac and linux.

Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by worthless-trash on Monday May 04, 2026 @02:16AM (#48005228)
No,

I just assume apple will break the behavior when they want to.

Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by worthless-trash on Tuesday May 05, 2026 @02:32AM (#48018824)
I'm downvoted, but why you cowards.

Why is this assumption incorrect, apple have a long history of breaking away from standards when it doesn't suit them.

Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by bitfilped on Sunday May 03, 2026 @09:01PM (#48003406)
Should I be able to run files I download on my own computer? I think yes I should, hate fighting MacOS to do simple tasks because Apple engineers assume the end user has the average intelligence of an ostrich.
Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by shawn_w on Monday May 04, 2026 @12:31AM (#48004650)
That might be an overly optimistic assumption for the typical user, to be fair.
Re:Tar files made in macOS generate "xattr" errors when expa... by nottorp on Monday May 04, 2026 @06:42AM (#48006937)
> Are Linux users not also subject to drive-by downloads impersonating valid files?

Linux users generally install software with apt or rpm. Or steam.

The existence of any executable file outside the system dirs it a red flag in itself.