[arch-general] [OT] Sending a laptop to the repair shop
Just a quick question. What do you guys do when you have to leave your laptop at the repair shop? Do you create a new user for them, you give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What? Manolo --
On Thu, 2012-09-20 at 20:38 -0400, Manolo Martínez wrote:
Just a quick question. What do you guys do when you have to leave your laptop at the repair shop? Do you create a new user for them, you give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
Is your Arch Linux installation and your data completely encrypted? Just by using a live CD they could access everything that isn't encrypted ;). Usually working for a repair shop does mean, that there is no time to take a look at the customers data. The repairman isn't interested in your browsers history. If you have serious data on your laptop, not encrypted economic espionage or something like that, then remove the hard disk. Regards, Ralf
On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 9:51 PM, Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf@alice-dsl.net>wrote:
On Thu, 2012-09-20 at 20:38 -0400, Manolo Martínez wrote: Do you create a new user for them, you
give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
WHAT? You can't be so naive dude, I would promptly give my life than my pwd!!! Which reminds me: http://xkcd.com/538/
On 09/20/12 at 10:46pm, Martín Cigorraga wrote:
On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 9:51 PM, Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf@alice-dsl.net>wrote:
On Thu, 2012-09-20 at 20:38 -0400, Manolo Martínez wrote: Do you create a new user for them, you
give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
WHAT? You can't be so naive dude, I would promptly give my life than my pwd!!! Which reminds me: http://xkcd.com/538/
Yep, that's why I was asking. I think I'll just create another user for them. This will at least protect my files from casual browsing. Although Ralf's probably right they don't give a rat's ass. Manolo --
I just had my x220 repaired at a small place. I told them I used linux exclusively and that I didn't want to give out my password. They understood and everything went ok. Typically they just want your password to verify that everything works and maybe to run a quick system cleanup which is very common. In my case I was having part of the screen fixed and obviously did not need it. this is a good time to keep a small windows installation handy but empty and just sent the grub default 2 windows when you are going to the shop On Sep 20, 2012 9:55 PM, "Manolo Martínez" <manolo@austrohungaro.com> wrote:
On 09/20/12 at 10:46pm, Martín Cigorraga wrote:
On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 9:51 PM, Ralf Mardorf < ralf.mardorf@alice-dsl.net>wrote:
On Thu, 2012-09-20 at 20:38 -0400, Manolo Martínez wrote: Do you create a new user for them, you
give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
WHAT? You can't be so naive dude, I would promptly give my life than my pwd!!! Which reminds me: http://xkcd.com/538/
Yep, that's why I was asking. I think I'll just create another user for them. This will at least protect my files from casual browsing. Although Ralf's probably right they don't give a rat's ass.
Manolo --
Thanks to everyone for the comments. Let me say, lest I'm taken to be even more clueless than I am, that I am aware that live CDs and alternative users are no real protection. They will probably work as a signal that I'd prefer my data not to be browsed, though, and that's enough for me, I think. M On 09/21/12 at 12:26am, Calvin Morrison wrote:
I just had my x220 repaired at a small place. I told them I used linux exclusively and that I didn't want to give out my password. They understood and everything went ok.
Typically they just want your password to verify that everything works and maybe to run a quick system cleanup which is very common. In my case I was having part of the screen fixed and obviously did not need it.
this is a good time to keep a small windows installation handy but empty and just sent the grub default 2 windows when you are going to the shop On Sep 20, 2012 9:55 PM, "Manolo Martínez" <manolo@austrohungaro.com> wrote:
On 09/20/12 at 10:46pm, Martín Cigorraga wrote:
On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 9:51 PM, Ralf Mardorf < ralf.mardorf@alice-dsl.net>wrote:
On Thu, 2012-09-20 at 20:38 -0400, Manolo Martínez wrote: Do you create a new user for them, you
give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
WHAT? You can't be so naive dude, I would promptly give my life than my pwd!!! Which reminds me: http://xkcd.com/538/
Yep, that's why I was asking. I think I'll just create another user for them. This will at least protect my files from casual browsing. Although Ralf's probably right they don't give a rat's ass.
Manolo --
--
If it's not encrypted, creating another user does you no good, since anyone with physical access to the computer can easily access all the files by simply using a LiveCD, for example... Just assume the worst at all times, and you will be fine! On Fri, Sep 21, 2012 at 2:54 AM, Manolo Martínez <manolo@austrohungaro.com>wrote:
On 09/20/12 at 10:46pm, Martín Cigorraga wrote:
On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 9:51 PM, Ralf Mardorf < ralf.mardorf@alice-dsl.net>wrote:
On Thu, 2012-09-20 at 20:38 -0400, Manolo Martínez wrote: Do you create a new user for them, you
give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
WHAT? You can't be so naive dude, I would promptly give my life than my pwd!!! Which reminds me: http://xkcd.com/538/
Yep, that's why I was asking. I think I'll just create another user for them. This will at least protect my files from casual browsing. Although Ralf's probably right they don't give a rat's ass.
Manolo --
Op 21 sep. 2012 03:47 schreef "Martín Cigorraga" <msx@archlinux.us> het volgende:
On Thu, Sep 20, 2012 at 9:51 PM, Ralf Mardorf <ralf.mardorf@alice-dsl.net wrote:
On Thu, 2012-09-20 at 20:38 -0400, Manolo Martínez wrote: Do you create a new user for them, you
give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to
use
a live CD? What?
WHAT? You can't be so naive dude, I would promptly give my life than my pwd!!! Which reminds me: http://xkcd.com/538/
;-) Thats also known as "rubber hose cryptanalysis". The name says it all. mvg, Guus
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On 20/09/12 21:38, Manolo Martínez wrote:
Just a quick question. What do you guys do when you have to leave your laptop at the repair shop? Do you create a new user for them, you give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
Manolo
I usually try to fix my things, but if I have to give it to some kind of tech support I just change the disk. - -- Angel Velásquez angvp @ irc.freenode.net Linux Counter: #359909 http://www.angvp.com -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.19 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://www.enigmail.net/ iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJQW8ezAAoJEEKh2xXsEzut/ZQH/2m8sqp2UlgJP7jOXV1js1+d 6Sm1UaGbYZJ3imbFaSbXerCsoUyHaDk91PaN1vx1tqimTCxhWq30M/G8yaow77Bm g/pJEm1lej/QliMwnjGLymhmVc3ommKzwqOctYM+X83K9CgussZoXa56ffB/hhvn ngiWjz3TNwuEP+ItwSoDTzEJOXOGKb4s6hxqpxi+UFaVAZsYFauJbj4aoB+CU2bF 3kKI9GVKqocVuh8DHJB4RAqEltzpMP88sMoLpHRzHHcK2FnAiCSV/US0IWiYHvaZ 0H+9vjg0XHlefvenc4R9lmXCnN+zo1jPMiTHY4FIW0mXuOXmF61P24sLsVvSzHk= =CJK2 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
On Sep 21, 2012 2:39 AM, "Manolo Martínez" <manolo@austrohungaro.com> wrote:
Just a quick question. What do you guys do when you have to leave your laptop at the repair shop? Do you create a new user for them, you give them your user and password and hope for the best, ask them to use a live CD? What?
Remove the HDD. Otherwise they might get the idea to wipe it or something equally stupid. If you are concerned about privacy then creating a separate user won't make much difference long add they have the hardware. Tom
participants (8)
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André Prata
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Angel Velásquez
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Calvin Morrison
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Guus Snijders
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Manolo Martínez
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Martín Cigorraga
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Ralf Mardorf
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Tom Gundersen