Auto downloading!?

[ilovemymac7]

okay i am having a bit of a problem. some links i click in safari either end with.jpg or .pdf and such rather than .com. and when i click those, it automatically starts downloading and then opens in the program it is used in. what if the site contained a virus! is there any way to fix this??
and also if i move a downloaded file from the downloads/documents stack on my dock to the trash and then empty the trash, will the file be completely off the computer

 

[Tallest Skil]

There are no viruses for OS X. You would have to actively install something for anything to happen, and you can't install a jpeg or pdf.

You're just downloading files. Tell me you've done this on a PC.

 

[ilovemymac7]

yea they would go to my documents and stuff. but when i clicked the link it would ask if i wanted to download before doing so.

 

[ilovemymac7]

two more things, (your a terrific help)
lets say i install an app but now i dont want it anymore. all i do is go in the finder, find it. move it to the trash and then delete? that simple?
if so when i do this the app is still displayed as downloaded in the downloads window, does this mean anything?

 

[macrem]

Does this link start a download too (its safe...from apple.com)?:

http://images.apple.com/macosx/technology/images/unix_hero20071016.png

It does not prompt a download for me, rather it displays the image in Safari.

 

[ilovemymac7]

no that just opens the image in a new window, but say i download new icons from interfacelift.com when i click the download link it doesnt ask if i want to download. it automatically opens that download window and begins downloading

 

[Tallest Skil]

two more things, (your a terrific help)
lets say i install an app but now i dont want it anymore. all i do is go in the finder, find it. move it to the trash and then delete? that simple?
if so when i do this the app is still displayed as downloaded in the downloads window, does this mean anything?

It means that the .dmg (or the app itself) is still there. You can get rid of those once you have the application installed.

 

[ilovemymac7]

It means that the .dmg (or the app itself) is still there. You can get rid of those once you have the application installed.

okay so the answer to the first question i assume was yes?
and wait once i click clear from that download window, it will be officially deleted from the computer?

 

[Tallest Skil]

okay so the answer to the first question i assume was yes?
and wait once i click clear from that download window, it will be officially deleted from the computer?

Once you clear it from the Downloads window in Safari, it's gone from the downloads window in Safari. It's still in whatever location it was downloaded...

Ugh. Just set Safari to download to the Desktop. I've always hated the Downloads folder.

 

[ilovemymac7]

haha alright thanks for the help.
i hated on windows how you would have to do a million thins to get a program deleted.
on a mac you find the app, delete and its overrr!

 

[macrem]

no that just opens the image in a new window, but say i download new icons from interfacelift.com when i click the download link it doesnt ask if i want to download. it automatically opens that download window and begins downloading

Just downloading a file is no problem, its when you open an executable file. OS X will warn you the first time you open a downloaded file which could potentially contain malicious code, which in practice has never happened to me.

 

[hennaheto]

There are no viruses for OS X. You would have to actively install something for anything to happen, and you can't install a jpeg or pdf.

You're just downloading files. Tell me you've done this on a PC.

there are real viruses for macs. Up until December 3rd of this year on apple.com there was a kb recomending anti-virus (which disappeared once the link hit digg, reddit and cnet) Yes it is true every virus for a mac discovered in the "wild" requires user interaction/approval like opening or installing a file, but that is exactly what the OP is asking about. There are certain file types which i would say are inherently safe to auto open (pdf for example) but there are others which i would not have open automatically like scripts or .dmg. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7760344.stm - yes the article states "A handful of viruses have been written that targets Mac OS X, but most have been demonstration versions only and few have had any significant impact on Apple users" but for me that is enough to argue against ever saying "There are no viruses for OS X" There is also malware for the mac os, ever heard of opener? Even with out the admin password (root access) if could delete your home dir. Every bad piece of code out there for macs, torjans, scripts, viruses etc. i have read about for mac do REQUIRE some level of user interaction; some of them need to be open and extracted (then they are able to do their thing) while others require a password. Either way, if your computer/browser is automatically opening files this is already putting you at least halfway there.

and yes most of the links are "old" but i am only merely pointing out that you can not absolutely say there are no viruses for macs. Yes most are proof of concept and not in the wild; but i feel that telling someone they are invincible only leads them to try and prove you wrong.

another link: http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=102379

and for the record one of the first ever recorded computer viruses "in the wild" was on a apple ll systems, elk cloner

 

[Tallest Skil]

Yes it is true every virus for a mac discovered in the "wild" requires user interaction/approval like opening or installing a file, but that is exactly what the OP is asking about.

Then that isn't a virus; it's a trojan.

There are certain file types which i would say are inherently safe to auto open (pdf for example) but there are others which i would not have open automatically like scripts or .dmg.

Yep. Only ever open DMGs from trusted sources.

There is also malware for the mac os, ever heard of opener?

You mean OS X/LEAP-A? Yep. Patched in 2006, now moot.

i feel that telling someone they are invincible only leads them to try and prove you wrong.

Like you're trying to do now.

and for the record one of the first ever recorded computer viruses "in the wild" was on a apple ll systems, elk cloner

Having nothing to do with OS X or the UNIX system on which it's based.

 

[hennaheto]

Having nothing to do with OS X or the UNIX system on which it's based.

yes i realize this.....i added it for a bit of humor

Then that isn't a virus; it's a trojan.

yes however both are dangerous to your system

Yep. Only ever open DMGs from trusted sources.

My whole point in why safari should NOT be auto opening files

You mean OS X/LEAP-A? Yep. Patched in 2006, now moot.

my point is that they have existed in the past

Like you're trying to do now.

i am merely just stating that apple's os is not as virus/torjan/hacker/malware proof as people make it out to be


but all points to the side i feel that auto opening files from safari is a bad idea. you should never auto open a file downloaded from the internet there should be some level of user approval (like double clicking)

 

[Tallest Skil]

My whole point in why safari should NOT be auto opening filest

It can automatically open images and PDFs. Heck, it can automatically mount DMGs. Unless you put in your password and tell it to install, that mounted DMG is STILL harmless.

 

[hennaheto]

It can automatically open images and PDFs. Heck, it can automatically mount DMGs. Unless you put in your password and tell it to install, that mounted DMG is STILL harmless.

OS X/LEAP-A / opener was not a dmg and did not need a password to run only to be opened so safari auto oping that back in 2006 (yes it is patched today) would have exposed and exploited your system, how can you guarantee there will never be another? me personally i will not take that risk.

 

[ppc750fx]

OS X/LEAP-A / opener was not a dmg and did not need a password to run only to be opened so safari auto oping that back in 2006 (yes it is patched today) would have exposed and exploited your system, how can you guarantee there will never be another? me personally i will not take that risk.

Because Safari no longer opens anything that could be executable. Furthermore, Leopard asks for confirmation before executing anything that you downloaded from the web.

Oh, and the things you mentioned weren't viruses.

 

[hennaheto]

*I* believe it is a security *risk*(in no way should you read guaranteed hazard) to have safari auto opening files from the internet

*I* also believe os x is not 100% malicious code/trojan/virus/malware proof and that I still need to reply on my self defensive safe computing habits while using OS x

Yes and what i mentioned is technically a tojan and not a virus; however, that is irrelevant in my opinion about trusting everything to the OS (IE auto opening downloaded files)

However, each to their own. If we choose to compute differently then so be it. I will never tell anyone that mac os x is virus/tojan/malicious code/malware proof and I do not think anyone else should either, just that is it highly resistant.

 

[Nermal]

yea they would go to my documents and stuff. but when i clicked the link it would ask if i wanted to download before doing so.

In Safari Preferences > General there is an option called 'Open "safe" files after downloading'. If you turn this off then while the files will still download, they won't automatically launch.

 

[ppc750fx]

*I* believe it is a security *risk*(in no way should you read guaranteed hazard) to have safari auto opening files from the internet.

Yeah, and being connected to the internet is a security risk. Realistically, given that you can easily disable this behavior (if it's not already disabled by default), it's a very minor risk.

*I* also believe os x is not 100% malicious code/trojan/virus/malware proof and that I still need to reply on my self defensive safe computing habits while using OS x

The only OS that's immune to malicious code is one that runs entirely from ROM and has no means of input.

OS X isn't immune, but so far its track record is quite good.

 

[Str8edgepunker]

*I* believe it is a security *risk*(in no way should you read guaranteed hazard) to have safari auto opening files from the internet

Erm, so how would you download a web page with all of its associated files and pictures in a browser? Your logic.

*I* also believe os x is not 100% malicious code/trojan/virus/malware proof and that I still need to reply on my self defensive safe computing habits while using OS x

For now, it is. I hope it stays that way for a while, but I know that the day is coming. Its rather unfortunate that some uncouth yob feels the need to get his jollies off this way, but I digress.

Yes and what i mentioned is technically a tojan and not a virus; however, that is irrelevant in my opinion about trusting everything to the OS (IE auto opening downloaded files)

However, each to their own. If we choose to compute differently then so be it. I will never tell anyone that mac os x is virus/tojan/malicious code/malware proof and I do not think anyone else should either, just that is it highly resistant.

Tojan? Oh boy. Here we go. It's spelled T-R-O-J-A-N, so have a good day because I'm not going to indulge you further.