This would presumably mainly be an issue for computers open to the internet. So not so much for home PCs, unless the router's firewall is opened up.
LaggyKar
How would that bypass the firewall?
This TV Streamer costs significantly more than a CCwGTV combined with an adapter.
Apparently so it does, and it says "HDMI Freesync" rather than "HDMI [2.1] VRR". FreeSync HDMI is a completely different protocol and is supposed to work under Linux. Found a thread here, can you try cat /sys/kernel/debug/dri/0/HDMI-A-1/vrr_range
and edid-decode < /sys/class/drm/card0-HDMI-A-1/edid
? Though there is no solution there.
I thought that there was VRR support over HDMI even for versions below 2.1 spec.
Yes, there is FreeSync HDMI, which is supposed to be supported on Linux, and which is unrelated to HDMI 2.1 VRR. Don't see anything about the monitor supporting that though (LG 24GS60F based on your previous post). Nor anything about HDMI 2.1 VRR, it probably only supports VRR via DisplayPort Adaptive Sync.
Until services stop supporting it.
None of which changes the fact that it's more expensive and clunkier, and none of which feels necessary.
You can get an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast
A more expensive, clunkier product, with a bunch of needless fluff in it.
So you need to change two settings instead of one to side load. Seems rather pointless.
It's better in one way, in that updates are applied on reboot rather than pulling the rug put from under running applications. But I agree that it doesn't go all the way, as it doesn't provide a verifiable base system with clearly separated modifications. OSTree would be great.
Another possibility would be to distribute a base image as a btrfs send stream (possibly differential against previous versions) containing a compose-fs image and associated files. And then OS extensions could be installed with systemd-sysext.
Harvesting IP addresses shouldn't be a problem, since the firewall shouldn't allow packets from a peer you haven't talked to first. But true, if you can be attacked in response by a server you're connecting to that would be bad.