[OLPC Security] Bitfrost vs. Rainbow

[Karl O. Pinc]

On 04/10/2008 02:39:22 PM, Mark Seaborn wrote:
> Michael Stone <michael at laptop.org> wrote:
> 
> > On Tue, Apr 01, 2008 at 07:50:52PM +0100, Mark Seaborn wrote:

> > Could you say more about your goals for the clipboard?
> 
> Just as sandboxed applications get read or write access to the user's
> files via a trusted-path file chooser (the file powerbox), they should
> only get read or write access to the clipboard via a trusted-path user
> interface.  Applications should only be able to read from (paste) or
> write (cut/copy) to the clipboard after an explicit action from the
> user, such as a key press or a mouse click, and the user needs to be
> able to tell what consequence their action will have.

> Note that I am talking about X's CLIPBOARD.  The conventional
> interface for X's SELECTION is not securable: pasting with the middle
> button might be securable, but copying just by selecting text is not.

I don't understand the last sentence.
Why is selecting text (or using the middle mouse button to paste)
any less of an "explicit action" than Ctrl-C (or Ctrl-V)?


Karl <kop at meme.com>
Free Software:  "You don't pay back, you pay forward."
                  -- Robert A. Heinlein