Making code changes on our computer is one of the most exciting tasks we can live, the problem is that we can break Windows, MacOS or Linux when we run the tests of our research.
The solution for this kind of problem is “create a test environment” that is isolated from the rest of the programs and folders of our operating system and its components. To do this we must use some storage on disk and in RAM.
This test environment is called in Sandbox computing , in this article we will explain what it is and what advantages it has. We will also talk about the best programs and commands for Linux that you can find.
Index:
What is a Sandbox in computing and what is it for?
Imagine an island surrounded by the sea, in which water is the operating system our computer has, and the island is the Sandbox.
That is, the Sandbox is a tool that we usually use to exclusively have a piece of hard disk storage and also RAM memory.
We can install programs or codes within Sandbox , which will move according to the functions and permissions that we grant.
For example, they may or may not access the Internet, interact with another part of our operating system, access different storage units that we have, especially if they are external.
We think that working with a Sandbox is exclusive to programmers, which in some part is, but any of us with common knowledge can use this tool .
For example, when we want to download a file that we do not know of its origin and our antivirus can not detect anything because it cannot be executed correctly, the Sandbox is ideal for these cases, being able to install that file, apparently malicious, inside of the structure of the Sandbox.
Another example of use by common users is when we install Torrent, or any other program that we don’t want to affect the environment of our operating system.
It also works for computer engineers or development programmers who can test their different codes that they are carrying out on the route line in this disk space and RAM memory.
What are the benefits of running programs in a Sandbox?
Among the benefits of installing a Sandbox on our computer , we can mention the most important according to our point of view:
- Being a test environment we can test applications to know their true functioning without touching or risking our system and other components thereof.
- Related to the point Previously, having the freedom to try different programs, brings benefits for us and for third parties , since according to our experience we can recommend a program.
- We can develop some useful software and benefit many people or ourselves at a very low cost in relation to the danger of breaking our own computer equipment .
List of the best programs to run Sandbox on Windows, Linux and MacOS
The best programs to run Sandbox on any operating system are the ones we will mention below. We will show you the steps you must follow for your configuration.
They are the following :
Windows Sandbox
Microsoft provides users with Windows operating system its Sandbox tool for applications with extension “. msi” or “.exe” .
To activate this tool we will have to follow these steps:
- We go to clearlyHome started
- We select “Control Panel”
- We look for the option «Programs and features»
- We click on «Activate or deactivate Windows features»
- Activate «Windows Sandbox (Windows isolated space) »
Sandboxie.com
It is an application in which we can take advantage of all the features it offers and its installation is simple. In addition, it has the option of being able to export the files that we have created within Sanborns. For windows. It has a trial period and then we can buy it for € 15.
Buffer-Zone.com
Designed for Windows, you can offer the creation of Sandbox as tools and open emails or surf the Internet from this disk space. Its functions are very simple to understand and handle and the installation is simple and intuitive.
Command configuration for MacOS
This command allows you to limit the access activities of our operating system. The execution of, which are outside of Sandbox, as well as the functions of the operating system.
While applications that are downloaded through the Apple Store are controlled, there may be mishandling of users, when downloads directly from the Internet occur so so much this makes our Mac not immune to attacks from malicious programs.
For this we will have to create a file that can be run on our Mac to enable the Sandbox. When we have this file enabled we will proceed with the following command that we will write in the command bar:
«sandbox-exec -f myapp-sandbox-conf /Applications/MyApp.app/Contents/MacOS/MyApp-bin»
With these simple steps we can enable Sandbox on our Mac.
Firejail.wordpress.com
It allows us to run programs on the Linux operating system safely. It is ideal for downloading applications from Skype, Torrents, VLC or any video player and other programs with these characteristics.
It is a software that does not weigh much, so when you start the computer you will not have much effort.
The steps to install Firejail on Linux are as follows :
- We execute the following command «sudo apt-get install firejail»
- If we need to have a graphical interface to execute this Sandbox we will give this command «sudo apt-get install firetools »
- To see the available profiles that exist we will write « ls / etc / firejail / »
- If we want to modify the profiles will do “sudo nano /etc/firejail/firefox.profile simultaneously
- And finally we will write ” man 5 firejail-profile “ li >
When we have everything ready we can run a program inside sandbox as follows:
- «firejail firefox»
- If we need to change the standard configuration we will have to write «firejail –net = none vlc» , to make the VLC always boot with this modification.
We can also run the program in the Google Chrome browser in private mode to force it to use the same DNS.
For this we will execute:
- «firejail –private –dns = 8.8.8.8 –dns = 8.8.4.4 google-chrome»