Yeah, if i understabd correctly, remove geoclue is not a good idea due to OS instability, but disable can do the trick. This is what i do on my Distro ans it still very stable, but i don't know how i can verify that (maybe watch listenning port via gufw!!!). Code: apt remove --purge geoclue* zeitgeist* libqzeitgeist* qml-module-qtlocation qtlocation* qtpositioning* libqtlocation* libplasma-geoclocation-* Then create a file in /etc/apt/preferences/ Paste : Code: Package: geoclue* zeitgeist* libqzeitgeist* qml-module-qtlocation qtlocation* qtpositioning* libqtlocation* libplasma-geoclocation-* Pin: origin * Pin-Priority: -32768 Then : Code: apt update windsman.
Some people say that I am obsessed with privacy issues . Oddly enough some of these same people come to me seeking advice and /or fixes for issues which have originated in careless behavior with their personal data . I sometimes wonder if I don't have a sort of "knee -jerk" reaction to anything privacy related , and I'm thinking this might be the case with Geoclue. I use Linux on my main system and I take your point Socrate , but from what I can see so far , there is a lot more disturbing stuff going on with Windows Telemetry than there is with Geoclue. I can't see any evidence of it sending out anything more than your approximate geographical location . Absolute online privacy these days can only mean one thing ..... NEVER connect ANYTHING to the internet and that's just another case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater IMO. We are left with choosing " acceptable" levels of intrusion , so for myself :- Windows Telemetry ..... must be disabled ( or exterminated even ! ) Ubuntu Unity Lens / Amazon crap .... likewise . Geoclue ... really not sure right now .... how much stuff do I really want to remove / disable ? .... the D-bus service ? .... parts of systemd ?
I partially agree with you, but my question is why the heck people who build the open-source software allow this? 'Cause that's why it's open source, so you can see the source and remove it if it doesn't fit with your policies. But now, all this spyware crap is deeply entangled in the software and if you want to remove it, it can break the system and that that's exactly the behavior of closed-source software. This reinforces again and again what I already know: it doesn't matter the principle they stand for, people will always throw away their principles when it comes to money.
We are in agreement on this issue ( I think ? ) The devil is in the details .... open source is a great idea in principle ( the polar opposite of Windows , OSX etc ) but what does it give us users in real terms ? How many Linux users have the time ( let alone the software skills ) to read hundreds of thousands of lines of code ? Not me , that's for sure ! So in my case , I'm " liking " the open source concept simply because I'm relying on someone , somewhere , sometime spotting that there might be something not quite right going on . And I feel that this has happened now with Geoclue How long has it been in the kernel before anybody noticed ? I honestly have no clue ! Sure , I can read up on it , and the developers but that is all " after the fact " knowledge . Does that make sense ?
I couldn't agree anymore Uhm, from the beginning i think, it's too bad that these "Telemetry", "Location", "Statistics", "Collector"........., are on board each time and for sure badly used sometimes, i understand that these could be deserving for OS improvments, but why more!!!!!, cause it's free (free software in exchange to my birthday date, name......!!!), WHAT. windsman.
.... my edit ^ Thanks for clarifying that socrate , I honestly don't know where I got that notion from .... What about systemd ..... any dependency issues there that you know of ? I'm still wondering if we are not just " barking at the moon " on the specific issue of Geoclue and any inherent privacy implications . I'm open to persuasion , and I'd be keen to know if anyone has actually seen any telemetry from Geoclue that isn't merely IP related
I guess the next obvious question is, are there any distro's that don't use these "features" Surely, at least amongst linux users, privacy would be paramount? I stopped using Windows 10 (well not for gaming, but everything else) and switched to Linux to escape being spied upon. Then I read about this Geoclue business and don't know what to think anymore ... I'd be more inclined to use a distro that focuses on privacy, but what do you miss out on in return? With Windows its gaming as Linux pretty much blows in that department, but at the moment its something I can live with, switching between Linux and Windows just to game. Is this the future of Linux too? No matter what you use, being spied upon is part and parcel of using Linux too? Damn shame if it is.
Before reading this thread I was happy as I saw Linux as an OS without telemetry and spying and I had an alternative to Windows telemetry and spying. But now I am very disappointed. It seems there is no OS left in the world without telemetry and spying. You would be tracked whichever OS you use, be it Windows, OS X/i os, Android, Linux or BSD.
The problem with Windows (and any other closed-source OS for that matter) is that you can't remove the offending code and recompile the OS. Linux gives you the opportunity to do just that, provided you choose a distro that is completely open source, and don't add / use closed source packages. That's not to say that you can't block outbound traffic on Windows; it's been demonstrated here at MDL that even Windows 10 can be tamed well enough to provide a decent experience. The problem lies in the fact that each open TCP / Raw sockets thread detracts from the overall speed of the OS. And that robs horsepower from games and CPU intensive programs. If You want to make Linux secure, you will have to learn to program in C, C++ and 'x86 Assembler, and compile your own kernel and desktop, removing -any- offensive code. ...
@wimaniac: not quite. You can always use linux with Desktop Environments that don't have geoclue, such as LXDE. it's not as fancy as KDE, Unity or other DEs out there, but it gets the job done. An without geoclue & co is, for example, Slackware or even Void linux with LXDE as desktop environment - no geoclue & co., no systemd. The user is in total control of the system. Although I consider myself a linux beginner and love the debian-way, I consider moving to Slackware and LXDE, even though I like KDE 4.x a lot.
Arrrgggh ! - x86 Assembler .... " nasty life " .... make it go away !!! But for C and C++ .... smooth peaceful feelings of calm ..... a zone of comfort ! Just kidding ! - more or less Wishing everyone a nice weekend ....
Good morning... I am following this thread because scepticism is my middle-name. What I would like to know about this subject: SINCE WHEN has this (any version of this!) been included in Linux? Thanks