Solved Option picked, continued in new thread__... isolate Zoom in LM 22.1 Cinnamon 'Xia'...

[Sherri is a Cat]

Zoom

I have no choice, I have to have it. It's a resource and band width hog. I don't trust it. I want to isolate it!!
Additionally, Zoom doesn't always work the same as it does in Windows. The is important for me because I host and chair meetings.

So I have 2 ideas to isolate Zoom and hopefully make it more functional. I have not yet used either of these options. Please share advice, experience. This is a totally new thing for me!

Wine

• From my experience, Zoom is more stable in a Windows environment. I never had any issues using Zoom host tools.
• My understanding is that Wine is an application, environment that can run Windows software.
• I seem to remember reading that Wine is very reliable

VM with Zorin OS 17.3

• This seems like it would be the most effective way to contain Zoom, limit access to resources and bandwidth
  • Zorin OS 17.3 Core for basic use
    • Free
    • Is reportedly very good for Windows based software.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Wine is poor choice to isolate software, simply because the software in question is able to determine whether it is running in wine and depending on permissions may modify local file system, especially if it's malicious it is able to compromise Linux (more specifically your user account first and then follows privilege escalation for possible root access).

Wine stands for: "Wine Is Not Emulator", it is compatibility layer, in other words wine does not isolate anything.

VM with Zorin OS 17.3

Virtual machine is the best way to isolate programs on host.
Which guest system you use does not matter because if you run untrusted software in VM that VM/guest is then untrusted as well.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Virtual machine is the best way to isolate programs on host.

Is this correct?

A VM can be opened from the Linux desktop???

The reason I'm leaning towards Zorin is that Windows based software, like Zoom operates better.

 

[KGIII]

Bottles runs applications in their own little isolated container.

The Flatpak version is how I'd go. You will want to use the prompts it gives you to figure out why it's not working (you'll download a file or two) and then the rest is pretty easy.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

A VM can be opened from the Linux desktop???

It can be opened but guest can't access host and vice versa unless you manually share directories or clipboard.

Bottles runs applications in their own little isolated container.

Do you have reference for this?

Wine is compatibility layer which means all it does it translates foreign API's to native API's and executes them as such, it does not emulate foreign system nor does do any kind of virtualization or emulation.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

It can be opened but guest can't access host and vice versa unless you manually share directories or clipboard.


Do you have reference for this?

Wine is compatibility layer which means all it does it translates foreign API's to native API's and executes them as such, it does not emulate foreign system nor does do any kind of virtualization or emulation.

This is an AI generated description of Bottles

"While Wine translates Windows system calls to Linux, Bottles enhances this experience by organizing and sandboxing applications for better security and usability."

 

[dos2unix]

Which distro? Some distro's (mostly rpm based, and arch) have native packages.

Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board...

zoom.us

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

The Flatpak version is how I'd go

It's not in the software manager. If I go to the website will it still be a flatpak?

 

[CaffeineAddict]

This is an AI generated description of Bottles

"While Wine translates Windows system calls to Linux, Bottles enhances this experience by organizing and sandboxing applications for better security and usability."

Not true, AI is wrong.

How good is Wine at sandboxing Windows apps?

Wine does not sandbox in any way at all. When run under Wine, a
Windows app can do anything your user can. Wine does not (and cannot)
stop a Windows app directly making native syscalls, messing with your
files, altering your startup scripts, or doing other nasty things.

You need to use AppArmor, SELinux or some type of virtual machine if youwant to properly sandbox Windows apps.

FAQ · Wiki · wine / wine · GitLab

Wine development tree

gitlab.winehq.org

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

This is from the Bottles website

All the way down at the bottom of the page it says this:

The full-sandbox is provided and pre-configured only using the Flatpak package (highly recommended).

 

[CaffeineAddict]

This is from the Bottles website

I would not trust non official websites.

The only and true wine website is: https://www.winehq.org/
You should be suspicious about flatpak managed package unless it is maintained by Wine HQ.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Which distro? Some distro's (mostly rpm based, and arch) have native packages.

Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board...

zoom.us

I was using Zoom downloaded from the Linux Mint 21.3 Software Manager

BUT

I just upgraded to LM 22.1

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

I would not trust non official websites.

The only and true wine website is: https://www.winehq.org/
You should be suspicious about flatpak managed package unless it is maintained by Wine HQ.

I wasn't talking about Wine!

That link is on the official Bottles website.

 

[f33dm3bits]

Install Zoom on Linux | Flathub

Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing

flathub.org

 

[Mike-BTU]

Zoom

I have no choice, I have to have it. It's a resource and band width hog. I don't trust it. I want to isolate it!!

There's a very good and inescapable reason why it's a resource and bandwidth hog:
Video streaming.
There's just no getting around that, I'm afraid. I happen to trust Zoom.

Additionally, Zoom doesn't always work the same as it does in Windows. The is important for me because I host and chair meetings.

That's correct! Last I looked, Zoom works better in Debian 12* than in Manjaro. In fact, the latest Arch version of Zoom is quite buggy, especially when I connect to a certain host. But I manage.

* (I can't use Zoom in Debian, because of an audio dropout problem which occurs in ANY app that produces sound from my speakers.)

Here's what I intend to try, and see if it helps.
On the Zoom Linux download page, in the drop-down menu where we chose our distro, the last choice is Other [Linux distro]. It's a tar.gz file. Likely, that will compile Zoom from source.

Whatever the case, maybe that compiled version will work better than the ready-to-run downloaded version. Maybe not. But I intend to give it a shot before long.

 

[Mike-BTU]

Install Zoom on Linux | Flathub

Video Conferencing, Web Conferencing, Webinars, Screen Sharing

flathub.org

Ah, that might be better!

EDIT: Some hosts set up Zoom so that attendees must use a recent version of Zoom. The flathubs I've seen were not up-to-date. Just saying.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

I'm going to get Virtual Box. Why Virtual Box you ask?

In large part it's because a certain publisher restricted me from installing it on my machine. It was only the specific version of the release that came installed on my PC. Group Policy Settings forbade it.

I paid for a machine and license to use the preinstalled OS.

In other words, EVEN THOUGH I OWNED SAID MACHINE AND LICENSE...

I was NOT CONSIDERED A MEMBER OF THE GROUP.

Every single of release and version of this particular OS considered the owner a member of the group and could therefor change Group Policy Settings thereby allowing them to install Virtual Box.

Any other VM would be fine, just NOT THAT PARTICULAR VM!!!

 

[Mike-BTU]

Are you expecting Zoom to use less resources and bandwidth in a VM? That's not gonna happen.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Are you expecting Zoom to use less resources and bandwidth in a VM? That's not gonna happen.

I thought I could actually do that.
That's not the only reason I'm considering a VM...

Many, many times I've had to force a shut down because Zoom isn't responding, won't close. LM isn't the only OS I've used with Zoom.

OMG I'm tired! But I took a Snapshot earlier after updates. If I mess up something I can restore.

Messing things up... That's another reason I want a VM

 

[Mike-BTU]

I thought I could actually do that.
That's not the only reason I'm considering a VM...

Many, many times I've had to force a shut down because Zoom isn't responding, won't close. LM isn't the only OS I've used with Zoom.

OMG I'm tired! But I took a Snapshot earlier after updates. If I mess up something I can restore.

Messing things up... That's another reason I want a VM

Ah yes. Understood.

I've seen Zoom become unresponsive, yes. BUT, in our experience (Me on Manjaro, wife on Debian 12) they fixed that bug over a year several years ago.

Better go take a nap.