Anyone using Perfect Dark?

fenton

Well-Known Member
Feb 10, 2017
644
464
Well the thing is with PD you can't just hit and run, it takes a long time to download stuff. Download speed is usually 200k/sec max on a good day. You need to set it up and let it run for days.
 

lavicia

Member
Mar 29, 2007
62
25
Wow, this thing is clunky. I wonder how it got to be so popular.

A problem I'm having is if it tells me I need to restart the program for changes to take effect, when I do so it's forgotten all my settings anyway. :(
 

fenton

Well-Known Member
Feb 10, 2017
644
464
It's Japanese, they read the manual so being a bit clunky isn't a problem. It works fine once you figure it out and there is loads of stuff you can't get in the west on there.
 
Nov 23, 2020
15
28
Personally I would not go near this program, it's abandonware with no updates in over a decade. Even less secure than torrents.
 

anamikasa

New Member
Jun 6, 2019
18
9
Yes it's abandonware; yes it's not secure; yes you need to open a port and let it run for weeks / months; yes you can run into very questionable material, which you should delete right away. But you can still find stuff not available anywhere else and it's good for discovering new things (or should I say, old things.)

If you're still interested, I recommend: 1. encrypting the entire PC you dedicate to it; 2. using Linux + Wine instead of Windows if you have the skills to do so, otherwise use a non-spying version of Windows such as XP; 3. having an always-on VPN on that PC that lets you open ports; 4. leaving said PC always running, because the downloads are a long term business. You can use an old laptop or even a fanless mini-pc with no display or keyboard attached, left running in a closet or basement.

As for security, its communications are somewhat encrypted, but its model was always "security by obscurity," which you should know is not secure at all. The program follows in the steps of Winny, which follows in the steps of WinMX, for anybody who remembers them. Given it's questionable security, I recommend encrypting any PCs and hard disks that come into contact with it and always using it under a VPN.

I haven't been using it for months, but I can answer questions about the software itself.
 
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TruDatt

New Member
Dec 23, 2019
4
1
3. having an always-on VPN on that PC that lets you open ports;
I recommend encrypting any PCs and hard disks that come into contact with it and always using it under a VPN.

what's up with that emphasis on vpn, isn't it aNoNyMoUs P2P?
 

anamikasa

New Member
Jun 6, 2019
18
9
what's up with that emphasis on vpn, isn't it aNoNyMoUs P2P?

As I said before, it's closed-source and abandonware on top of it, so you cannot rely on its encryption, neither hard disk nor network side. Plus it contains all sort of very illegal material and it uses part of your hard drive as a network cache (for random content.) All things considered, I highly recommend using a clean install of Linux (or a non-spying version of Windows) + Hard disk encryption + VPN.