First look at SharpApp, new tool by Debotnet creator

[Karlston]

First look at PimpApp SharpApp, new tool by Debotnet creator

PimpApp SharpApp is a new program for Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system by the creator of the popular Windows 10 privacy tool Debotnet. The program has been released as an early alpha version which means that you may not want to run it yet on systems that you work on. Expect lots of updates and improvements in the coming months.

 

The main idea behind PimpApp SharpApp is to make it easier for anyone to download and use Windows 10 privacy tools. The developer of the program even goes as far as calling it the "next generation Debotnet" that is a "much simpler version" for "the average user".

 

We are maintaining a list of privacy tools and programs tend to come and go fairly regularly. Also, some programs are not updated anymore and it is not a good idea to run these on newer versions of Windows as Microsoft may have changed settings or options. The available options when it comes to privacy programs are confusing and that makes it difficult especially for regular users.

 

You may download the latest version of PimpApp SharpApp from the GitHub project website. Run the program after you have unpacked the release; the program needs no installation and will run fine from any location.

 

 

The program lists various sections in the sidebar such as privacy, apps or tracking. Not all of these work in the alpha build which means that some functionality will become available in future updates.

 

The privacy group is loaded on start. It lists three privacy templates that users may download to their system; these are divided into beginner, advanced and professional templates and can all be downloaded with a click on install.

 

Scripts are available in the scripting section once they have been downloaded. The three levels that scripts are available in define the changes that are made to the system and how these scripts are run. The beginner template displays a graphical user interface while professional scripts -- six of them currently -- run in silent mode without user interaction.

 

 

The instructions are displayed when you select a script. While that is handy for experienced users, it is not helpful for the majority of users. The option to run a graphical user interface in beginner mode is an attempt to circumvent the issue but the current state of the GUI opens up issues of its own as it is not always clear what a menu option does (e.g. what do "remove all" or "remove bloatware" really do?).

 

The "apps" and "tracking" sections are available as well in the alpha release. Apps lists all preinstalled applications and comes with options to remove those. Tracking on the other hand enables you to add IP addresses to a block list; this makes it an advanced feature.

Closing words

I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure what the developer wants to achieve with the new PimpApp SharpApp application. The goal of creating a next generation Debotnet application that is more suitable for average users is not really reflected in the interface at the time of writing.

 

It is an alpha version on the other hand and things will likely change along the way. For now, it is something to keep an eye on to see how it evolves over time.

 

 

Source: First look at SharpApp, new tool by Debotnet creator (gHacks - Martin Brinkmann)

 

[nSane Software Updates post here... The new SharpApp ]