MeGUI and Paranoid people

[Sharktooth]

I've noticed some users are paranoid and say MeGUI "calls home".

That's ABSOLUTELY FALSE

MeGUI has recently got an Auto-Update function that is able to download software updates and required softwares from http://megui.org/auto/ dir.
That directory is browseable by everyone so you can check what MeGUI downloads.
You can obviously turn off the autoupdate feature from the MeGUI settings.
For the most paranoid, MeGUI is an open source project (hosted on http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/megui) so you can check the source code to verify it doesnt send anything back "home".

[buzzqw]

ahhh.... for a little time i had think that MeGui will include the PARanoia software by INC.

BHH

[Sharktooth]

ok, i edited the title:)

[Doom9]

And to make it even better.. you can install your own CVS client, check out the latest version of MeGUI and compile it yourself.. there's a batchfile compile.bat that you just need to double click on and it'll create you a fully working megui build.

[check]

I think it would be more correct to say it will download an xml file, parse it and report to the user -- some would call this "phoning home"

[unskinnyboy]

You mean Autoupdate.xml? I thought that was stored and updated locally in the root dir?

[Doom9]

Acutally phoning home means sending something back.. megui does the opposite.. it requests something.. a document that is the same for everyone.. you can verify in the source that this get request has no discernible information about your machine.. all that is known is your IP and you leave that everywhere you go on the net.

Perhaps we could make the default to not use the auto-update and ask the user the first time megui is started whether that function should be activated. I actually prefer to decide myself when I want to run a new version check.

[Sharktooth]

You mean Autoupdate.xml? I thought that was stored and updated locally in the root dir?
MeGUI downloads Update.xml from the website and compares data with Autoupdate.xml.
If there are newer software it asks the user if he wants to download them.
I can assure it is safe to allow megui to bypass your firewall but if you want just leave the virus checking enabled just as a precaution.

[unskinnyboy]

I see. I don't recollect seeing an update.xml in the root dir though. Does MeGUI download it to a different dir or does it delete update.xml after the comparison? Or maybe I just missed it.

I don't have any issues anyways. I always let the auto-updater do its thing. So I am not a complainant here.

[Sharktooth]

It just reads it

[DeathTheSheep]

You gotta be kidding me... are there really people who complain that MeGUI is spyware? :D
Nice... Gotta hand it to 'em for unconventional complaining... :)

[Sharktooth]

yes there are
just an example: http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?p=844114#post844114

[DeathTheSheep]

This guy's complainin' about x264 itself! :o
Well, I guess there will always be folks who turn the wrong end of the pitchfork. Tch. Open source spyware, indeed. Well, sorry for wastin' yer time folks.