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CLIX 1.8.1g Features

New build available as of today.

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RYŪKYŪ ARCHIPELAGO (Rixstep) — Rixstep release a new build of 'CLIX the command line interface for OS X' compatible with both 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard, and the coming 10.6 Snow Leopard.

Get the power of a command line without ever getting near it. Do all those things your system maintenance utilities try to do - but do them better and do them your own way. No typing - just 'clix'.

You have to perform maintenance routines. You know that. But make a mistake - especially in one of those glittery AppleScript apps - and what happens? You'll have no such fear with CLIX. CLIX is safer - and for the skilled professional safer than even Terminal. From almost every security standpoint.

CLIX: the Command Line Interface for OS X. Access to the full power of your operating system. Your computer runs smoother. You learn more, become better and more skilled at running it.

CLIX makes it easier for beginners to get up to speed with their new system. For the professional developer or system administrator it's an indispensable tool - a work of reference used by universities around the globe, NASA, the US military, and scientific institutions everywhere.

Despite all the work that's gone into CLIX over the years it's still free. Because it's all about knowledge. And knowledge - as most will agree - was meant to be free.

Features

Only two things of note change with 1.8.1g: a fallback to native ASCII command output (when necessary) and responsiveness in CPU intensive operations. But there are any number of features to this program which otherwise go unnoticed. Apple's Terminal application is getting more and more secure all the time but there are still reasons to not be totally reliant on it.

'The best thing in the world. Replace all of those AppleScript wrappers around command line interfaces. If you do not have it stop looking and go get it NOW.'

'Crikey. A system maintenance app whose inner workings are not shrouded in mystery. Five stars all round.'

'Superb app that demystifies the OS and educates and empowers the user. Elegant and efficient. An object lesson for other developers.'

First and foremost is the need for repetition with Terminal: either you save each of your scripts in a file of its own or you have to type the same command over and over again. Of course with the risk you'll type something wrong.

But CLIX collects all your scripts in one easy place. Once they work you never have to type them ever again. And the CLIX download comes with over 1000 [one thousand] useful scripts to help you along.

$PATH Hijacking

It's possible for malware to hijack your so called $PATH variable. As demonstrated at this site long ago a clever script can spoof the sudo command to steal your admin password or do almost anything else it wants. And there is little protection from Apple's Terminal.

'Superb. Matchless. Outstanding.'

'Holy smokes - this is a wonderful app.'

'Perfect work. The best app I have. 100 Stars.'

CLIX users don't have to worry about this. CLIX gets its $PATH variable from a read-only part of your operating system kernel. This variable cannot be tampered with. Hackers can do what they want but they won't be able to hijack your commands on you. As long as you stick to CLIX.

Learning Curve: Sudo Fun
Learning Curve: Too Much Sudo Fun
Learning Curve: Way Too Much Sudo Fun
Learning Curve: Sudos & Sudon'ts

TTY Tickets & Timeouts

Enforcing maximum security on your computer by using TTY tickets and setting zero time stamp timeouts with use of sudo tends to be cumbersome. It's great security - but it's a pain to keep typing your password in time after time again. This leads to people not opting for this greater level of security.

But leaving TTY tickets disabled and leaving sudo time stamp timeouts set to the default five minute grace period is literally 'asking for it'. It's a no-brainer for the simplest hacker to devise a 'piggyback' routine that simply keeps on hammering away at sudo until you've used it yourself - and left the door open behind you.

Industry Watch: The Sudo Hole
Industry Watch: Cocktail Shaker
Industry Watch: More Shakers
Learning Curve: Dudley Dursley's Dilemma
Learning Curve: TTY Tickets

CLIX gets you past this - and it makes use of TTY tickets and zero timeouts practical and comfortable. If you want to run commands with sudo you submit your password only once. CLIX stores your password - in memory and never on disk - and submits it to the system when needed. And as soon as you put your computer to sleep CLIX destroys this password, kills any other sudo time stamps created by other applications, and makes sure no one can break into your computer, not even through Terminal.

'Now that I use CLIX, I wish I had my money back from all the software 'developers' who wrapped a simple Unix function and sold it here to those of us new to the 'nix environment.'

'Superb app that demystifies the OS and educates and empowers the user. Elegant and efficient. An object lesson for other developers.'

'It's just the right mix of power, ease of use, and helpful education.'

Your system has another vulnerability in something called ~/.MacOSX/environment: this is a nasty bugger wide open to tampering by the bad guys. But again: as CLIX systematically ignores funky 'environment variables' and heeds only read-only kernel memory you aren't in danger - even if the bad buys are already on your machine.

Additional bash 'features' which the bash maintenance crew refuse to look into - such as ~/.bash_profile and ~/.bashrc - are a direct threat to Terminal users and potentially undermine your system security. But they won't affect CLIX users - even if the bad buys are already on your machine.

Download CLIX 1.8.1g now.

Further Reading
Learning Curve: Using CLIX
Learning Curve: The CLIX Files
Learning Curve: Top Ten Cleanups
Learning Curve: The Wizards of OS X
Learning Curve: New CLIX Stuff 2008-02-24