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Ubuntu phones home daily

Off-Topic discussions about science, technology, and non Debian specific topics.
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maxb
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Ubuntu phones home daily

#1 Post by maxb »

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+sour ... ug/1867424
In package base-files there is a script /etc/update-motd.d/50-motd-news that harvests private hardware data from the machine and transmits it in the background every day. There is no notice, no consent, no nothing. This should be by default disabled until there is informed consent.
Status: Won't fix

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Re: Ubuntu phones home daily

#2 Post by ticojohn »

Interesting. Sounds like an Ubuntu problem, not Debian.
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Re: Ubuntu phones home daily

#3 Post by Hallvor »

Ubuntu wasn't that bad when I started using it in 2006. It all went south from there, it seems, culminating with the Amazon scandal, and now this. I have no idea why anyone would use that distro any longer, with so many good alternatives.
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Re: Ubuntu phones home daily

#4 Post by Northpoint »

I walked away from ubuntu when they decided to drastically change the DE. I would have preferred that they have it as an option instead of the default DE. I do not remember the Amazon scandal though. I just consider ubuntu to be the linux alter ego of MS.
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Re: Ubuntu phones home daily

#5 Post by canci »

If that stuff is without consent, then at least in the EU it's illegal. Hope someone makes a complaint.
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Re: Ubuntu phones home daily

#6 Post by ticojohn »

Northpoint wrote: 2021-10-21 11:18 I walked away from ubuntu when they decided to drastically change the DE. I would have preferred that they have it as an option instead of the default DE. I do not remember the Amazon scandal though. I just consider ubuntu to be the linux alter ego of MS.
I tried Ubuntu. Dropped it after the first upgrade trashed the system.
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cynwulf

Re: Ubuntu phones home daily

#7 Post by cynwulf »

Part of the base-files package in 'buntu, which as with Debian is essential... Yes some telemetry and "news" is essential...?!

There are some scripts and configurations relating to "motd" (message of the day) in base-files - not present in Debian at all.

Look at the hoops you have to jump through to disable it: https://linuxconfig.org/disable-dynamic ... ossa-linux

Rather than just removing a package, which could be specific to those scripts...

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Re: Ubuntu phones home daily

#8 Post by Fernando Negro »

Well, knowing that the (US-made) "Windows" OS is highly suspected of having a backdoor for the NSA,

https://www.heise.de/tp/features/How-NS ... 44341.html
https://www.computerworld.com/article/2 ... pment.html

Am I the only one who doesn't think that, it's a mere coincidence that the symbol of the (main product of a UK-based company) "Ubuntu" OS very much resembles the format of the headquarters of the UK's equivalent of the NSA?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doughnut
I just *love* the stability, much more bug-free nature, and modular installation options of Debian. Apart from the unfortunate adoption of "systemd" (viewtopic.php?f=20&t=129881&start=165#p671030) this distribution is *great*.

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