I want to install MAS to my clubhouse’s computer so I can share MS Office with our member, but I wonder if it’s really safe.
Some people on Reddit say that it’s a trojan
https://www.reddit.com/r/pchelp/comments/1crolj9/reinstalled_windows_10_and_windows_security/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Piracy/comments/16rdsc4/regret_using_microsoft_activation_scripts/
They say that I can check the source code since it’s open sourced, but I’m not sure. It’s too complex, and downloading several files inside a script. I haven’t checked yet but it can be downloading some blobs, idk.
Also the domain of the official page sounds suspicious… “mass grave”??
Edit: I use Debian btw
Yes it’s not even really considered piracy. It creates a fully activated legitimate copy of Windows. It’s just basically a key-gen. It is a trojan in that it works like a trojan would, except it’s verified as safe.
But really you gotta know coming to Lemmy for this you’re just gonna get told to run Linux. So I’ll do it for you. Run Linux. The real trojan MAS creates is a fully activated copy of Microsoft Windows.
Oh, I use Debian as my daily driver, so don’t worry about that ;). In fact, that’s why I want to install Office on my clubhouse’s computer.
I managed to run Windows on KVM but it’s too slow and crashes occasionally, thus not very suitable for doing assignments.
Is this something that OnlyOffice could solve? They aim for strict compatibility with MS Office IIRC and it’s been working really well for me.
I’ve tried using OnlyOffice before, but it failed to open an Excel file properly
Microsoft support has used MAS to activate Windows when they didn’t know how else to do it.
https://hothardware.com/news/microsoft-support-cracks-windows
I’ve tested it in several different operating scenarios and have not seen any adverse function.
The source code is even hosted on GitHub which is owned by Microsoft.
Interesting. I wonder why they don’t take it down immediately when they absolutely can
Microsoft has always had a strange relationship with piracy. They’d obviously prefer everyone pay for their software, and will crack down on stuff that seriously threatens this - but at the same time, their real power and profit comes from their monopoly (well, came from their monopoly; things are weird now due to their failure to win the browser wars and mobile device markets.)
If the alternative is you using a competitor’s software, they’d prefer that you pirate windows.
