SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
The Register spotted Ubuntu behaving badly again with respect to users' privacy. In their article "Ubuntu wants to slurp PCs' vital statistics – even location – with new desktop installs: Data harvest notice will be checked by default", they note that in addition to installing popcon and apport by default, Canonical seeks much deeper data mining (without using the word "telemetry"):
[...] "We want to be able to focus our engineering efforts on the things that matter most to our users, and in order to do that we need to get some more data about sort of setups our users have and which software they are running on it," explained Will Cooke, the director of Ubuntu Desktop at Canonical.
[...] Data Canonical seeks "would include" the following: Ubuntu Flavour, Ubuntu Version, Network connectivity or not, CPU family, RAM, Disk(s) size, Screen(s) resolution, GPU vendor and model, OEM Manufacturer, Location (based on the location selection made by the user at install). No IP information would be gathered, Installation duration (time taken), Auto login enabled or not, Disk layout selected, Third party software selected or not, Download updates during install or not, [and] LivePatch enabled or not.
The system plans to leverage the power of the default setting by making the choice opt-out, not opt-in as popcon has been in the past: Cooke explained to the ubuntu-devel audience that "Any user can simply opt out by unchecking the box, which triggers one simple POST stating, 'diagnostics=false'. There will be a corresponding checkbox in the Privacy panel of GNOME Settings to toggle the state of this."
El Reg also noted Ubuntu's plan to address user privacy concerns:
"The Ubuntu privacy policy would be updated to reflect this change."
This seems less egregious than Ubuntu's past invasions of privacy, but much more invasive and Windows 10-like.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday February 20 2018, @07:29PM (7 children)
Okay, I can accept the argument that "the distribution" means "all software in the repos maintained by the company." Although I could also buy "the distribution" as meaning "the ISO that is distributed to you when you download it."
But then you immediately go off the rails and talk about compiling out the offending package, when the parent poster says it's not included in the image. It's too much to ask to do some basic research before installing optional packages?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Tuesday February 20 2018, @07:49PM (5 children)
Why, Yes, yes it is too much to ask.
You can't do ANY of that stuff till AFTER you install the default installation.
You're going do research and recompile the kernel to leave out all that spyware? On what? Using What software? On what OS?
You are asking the impossible, not the "merely inconvenient".
"Live Distro" you say? Try it some time buddy!
You have to suffer the spyware and the telemetry just to get platform you can trust. The Exact OPPOSITE of what should happen.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday February 20 2018, @07:59PM (2 children)
I don't understand the frothiness in this conversation. GP is talking about browser plugins, and you two are yelling about kernel modules.
Yes you can perform the default installation without installing Flash.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday February 20 2018, @08:11PM
After rereading this thread several time, this conversation is a version of that one scene in Doctor Who
or
So you guys aren't talking about browser blobs, those were just brought up as an example of what we weren't talking about.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 2) by frojack on Tuesday February 20 2018, @08:12PM
This is a subthread of https://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?noupdate=1&sid=24175&page=1&cid=640732 [soylentnews.org] melikamp's post.
I suggest you read that again. Try reading past the first paragraph this time.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Tuesday February 20 2018, @08:04PM (1 child)
And for the record, I *did* use a wide variety of live distros a handful of years ago. They were all eminently usable until you decided to install, so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make here either.
Well sure, in an ideal world. In the world we live in, you use the untrusted platform just long enough to find the one you can trust, then wipe the former and install the latter. I guess that means you're giving Microsoft hints as to what distro you'll end up using? Ooooh yeah that's a big problem.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 20 2018, @08:42PM
Why does anyone install and configure while connected to the internet?
One can download an iso and extra packages needed and do the install and configuration
of a new system offline. Only when the system is "hardened" should it connect to the internet.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by RS3 on Tuesday February 20 2018, @09:03PM
You both have great points.
Two points / problems for me:
1) If it's 3rd-party stuff, no, we should be wary. But if it's from the distro, yes, it is too much to ask. I've heard good things, and had good experience with X distribution in the past and I want to be able to continue to trust them and not have to dig into each module, library, default config file, etc. Now I don't trust _anything_ from them.
2) Interconnected with my #1 point, I wasn't aware there could be a problem; I didn't know I had to worry.
With Windows, I often (usually) run a packet sniffer (smsniff) when installing something new, or upgrading. It's troubling how much today's software "phones home to mommy" both during installs, and just starting up. I often disconnect from the network during installs. I try to turn off automatic updaters, etc.
But I _expect_ this with all things Windows (and Android). It's sad to see these power, control, and greedy attitudes creeping into Linux distros.