> How locked down are desktop apps now on Mac, Windows and Linux?
It’s hit or miss. There have been advancements on macOS and Linux where there are mobile-style permissions and sandboxing in some cases, but one needs to be aware of how apps are packaged to be able to leverage these advancements. Adobe stuff and Chrome on macOS for example have basically free reign still as they have specifically opted out of OS sandboxing, while a lot of small indie apps are sandboxed. Chrome I think can be put in a sandbox on Linux by way of Flatpak.
Windows has done practically nothing and is the same as it’s always been where desktop apps can do basically whatever they please, especially if given privileges with UAC (which seemingly every other Windows app needs for some reason).
Windows introduced better mobile-style permissions and sandboxing with the APPX format in Windows 8. However the only incentives to use it was the ability to build UWP apps and accessing the Windows Store. Everyone rejected the Windows Store, so developer adoption is close to zero (and now those incentives are gone too)
It’s hit or miss. There have been advancements on macOS and Linux where there are mobile-style permissions and sandboxing in some cases, but one needs to be aware of how apps are packaged to be able to leverage these advancements. Adobe stuff and Chrome on macOS for example have basically free reign still as they have specifically opted out of OS sandboxing, while a lot of small indie apps are sandboxed. Chrome I think can be put in a sandbox on Linux by way of Flatpak.
Windows has done practically nothing and is the same as it’s always been where desktop apps can do basically whatever they please, especially if given privileges with UAC (which seemingly every other Windows app needs for some reason).