Hi all.

Can you please advise me how I can prevent data about me from being sent to a developer?

Context:

While wandering around the net, I came across an expression about Foundry being ruthless to pirates. There were no specifics, so I simply typed in the search term “foundry piracy” and found the following:

… and I even found a form to report potential piracy on their official website (https://www.thefoundry.co.uk/licence-compliance/report-piracy/).

So I was wondering, how can I protect myself from something like this? How can I prevent any data about me from being sent to the developer? I don’t plan on pirating any software developed by Foundry, because I’m just disgusted with using tools created by the likes of… people? It’s just the first time I’ve seen something like this, and I’m curious.

After trying to search for something on this topic on the net, I only came across this thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/ot6xkq/isolating_pirated_software/).

My thoughts/questions:

  • It seems to me that just blocking internet access through a firewall isn’t going to help here
  • I would ask if using such software only when the VPN is enabled would help, but it seems to me that such software may run some background processes that will be active even after closing the program, and they will just send information about me / my hardware from time to time, including when I disable the VPN, since I won’t be using such software at the moment. And maybe these processes are trickier than normal processes that you can easily close via Task Manager.
  • Can a virtual machine help in such a case? How would it help in such a case? I’ve never dealt with virtual machines and I don’t know what they are, but aren’t they connected to the same network as my main computer, and can’t the developer get information about me if I use just another device, albeit a virtual one? Or is a virtual machine and how it works somehow different from a notional regular computer, as if it were virtual instead of real?
  • Why does the last-to-last link, in the comments, mention using a separate machine? How is that supposed to help? Wouldn’t that machine be connected to the same network as the main machine? Or, if not connected to the network, how would a machine that is used for everyday needs, but notionally never goes online, be different from a new machine that is not used for any everyday needs, and also never goes online?
  • I’ve heard of operating systems like Whonix, Tails, and Qubes. And about WineHQ, which allows you to run software written for Windows on Linux. I’ve only heard of them, and my understanding of them is no more than the word “anonymity”, so I also want to ask, if I use one of these operating systems, and use software like Nuke from Foundry through the use of WineHQ, could that somehow prevent Foundry from sending information about me? I mean using only the raw operating system, one of the ones listed, without using a VPN and a virtual machine along with it. If the answer is no, would a scenario of using an operating system bundled with a VPN and virtual machine help in this situation?

I apologize if I’ve written some nonsense. I am weak in technical matters. And I also apologize for possible mistakes in the text, I’m using an online translator.

Thanks!

  • StrawberryPigtails@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
    0·
    7 months ago

    I’m not familiar with the software in question but generally your options are (in order of my personal preference):

    1. Purchase the license and use it legally.
    2. Find a suitable open source or at least free (as in beer) alternative.
    3. Run the warez in a dedicated VM that doesn’t have network access. Or rather doesn’t have network access after downloading the software in question. This can break some modern software that requires an internet connection though.

    If you’re intent on option 3, Virtual Box is a decent (though not great) free software for hosting VMs. Windows can be obtained from microsoft.com and doesn’t actually require registration or a license key (At least Win 10 didn’t, not sure about 11). Once the OS has been installed and the software has been downloaded you can easily disable the network interface from Virtual Box’s interface. From the VMs perspective it will be as if it suddenly doesn’t have a network interface anymore. You can then safely install and run whatever. Things cannot phone home if there isn’t a “phone” available.

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      7 months ago

      God, virtualbox is awful. Terrible performance, and the UI is clumsy, disjointed, unclear. I really can’t reccomend it to someone unfamiliar with virtualization, it’s really that bad. And anyone familiar with virtualization will hate it for its terrible UI and poor performance.

      QEMU is available via winget (or is it Chocolatey, I forget)

      • StrawberryPigtails@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
        0·
        7 months ago

        I agree, it could definitely be better, but it is cross platform, and the UI is “good enough” if your needs are as simple as needing a containment environment for software you don’t trust.

        Is there a GUI interface for qemu now? I haven’t looked recently as I use Proxmox for my VMs. But that seems a bit overkill for this use case.

        • antimidas@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          0·
          7 months ago

          For local usage on linux there’s virt-manager, has been good enough for my use at least, and the integrated spice client has relatively good graphics performance for normal desktop use.

          Edit: don’t know about a good gui for running qemu on windows, though

    • thanksforallthefish@literature.cafeEnglish
      0·
      7 months ago

      You don’t need to give the VM network access to download the software if you have a linux host. You can directly mount a virtual box drive from the host, copy the file(s) onto the drive and then unmount it and start the VM as per normal.

      Search for qemu-nbd iirc (network block device) - I have the how to details saved on my host (ie not on me) so ping me if you want them. Note it’s a qemu app that works for vbox