# <a name="The_Powerbox"> The Powerbox </a>

## <a name="Rationale"> Rationale </a>

In a [[CapabilityBasedMicrokernel]], an application might be used with the very minimal set of capabilities that is needed to execute it, that is read-only access to it's libraries and files, plus maybe access to a specific IP connection or configuration directory.

Thus when the user asks to open or save a file, the dialog used to choose the file could also serve the purpose of granting the appropriate capabilities to the application.

This dialog is named the powerbox.

## <a name="Links"> Links </a>

* [Plash powerbox](http://plash.beasts.org/powerbox.html)
* [E and Cap Desk](http://www.combex.com/tech/edesk.html)
* [Polaris: Toward Virus Safe Computing for Windows XP](http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Alan_Karp/polaris.pdf)
* [The E Language in a Walnut](http://www.skyhunter.com/marcs/ewalnut.html#SEC45) - search for "Powerbox Capability Manager"
* [The Darpa Browser](http://www.combex.com/papers/darpa-report/html/index.html) - see Appendix 5

-- [[Main/NowhereMan]] - 28 Apr 2006