Questions tagged [privacy]
Questions related to privacy management with Ubuntu OS, network, apps, etc. and related issues.
171
questions
0
votes
0answers
46 views
How to strip image metadata from images embedded within a pdf from the command line?
I know that exiftool is used to strip metadata from many types of files, including image file formats and pdf format. I want a way to strip metadata from images embedded in a pdf from the command line ...
0
votes
0answers
34 views
cancel crash report
I am in a dilemma: I think I have created a problem with reporting errors.
Let me explain: when printing a pdf with sensitive personal data, cupsd crashed (according to the crash file in /var/crash/). ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Login Screen: Disable the password visibility toggling button
I have a default 20.04 Ubuntu install and the login screen has a password-visibility toggling button (an eye). I wish to disable this button and make the password always invisible. How can I do this? ...
0
votes
0answers
22 views
Desktop is briefly shown after waking from suspend/sleep
I open or close my laptop lid to initiate a sleep/suspend or wake it. When waking the laptop, it flashes my desktop briefly before blanking the screen and then showing the login. This is a potential ...
-2
votes
1answer
62 views
How to install the mullvard VPN on ubuntu
Those are the steps to install MUllvard open vpn
1- Using NetworkManager on Ubuntu 16.04 or newer
2- Open a terminal and issue sudo apt-get install openvpn network-manager-openvpn network-manager-...
3
votes
1answer
7k views
How to install the LibreWolf Browser (incl. DRM support)?
There is a newer browser, called LibreWolf, an independent fork of Firefox, with the primary goals of privacy, security and user freedom. It is the community run successor to LibreFox.
LibreWolf uses ...
0
votes
1answer
142 views
Is Ubuntu phoning home and is it sending data to Amazon?
I am viewing this video (published on Feb 16, 2013) in which Richard Stallman tells us that when you type something in the Ubuntu search bar, Ubuntu will send the search query to their servers and in ...
1
vote
0answers
77 views
Can an error report include memory dumps from programs other than the crashed one?
If gedit crashes and I choose to send the error report from Ubuntu 20.04, will the memory state information in the error report only include gedit's memory or can the error report include memory dumps ...
2
votes
1answer
96 views
How to see a list of proprietary software installed in Ubuntu? Including ALL
Is there any command to list only proprietary software installed or have been ever since Ubuntu was newly installed?
3
votes
2answers
204 views
Is there a privacy risk with gedit on Ubuntu?
I am switching from a GUI based password file to a text based one and I intend to encrypt with openssl.
openssl might be employed in a way similar to the following.
The following script might have a ...
1
vote
0answers
50 views
Preview of previous usage while locking the screen
When I am browsing on Firefox{installed through Mozilla's site}, I have (say) 2 tabs opened.
I am reading on the second tab. When I want to go away from my computer for a few minutes, I click Ctrl+Tab ...
0
votes
0answers
18 views
Time vault application
Can application time vault save internet pages in memory and later we check it even if we blocked that page from seeing us?
I am installing the latest ubuntu 20.04 on Windows 10 computer. I had ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Install and run Zoom Client inside a sandbox
With COVID-19 pandemic there was a boom of video conferencing. Although there are good free and open source alternatives like Jitsi (with e2ee coming soon), Zoom became popular. Is not a secret that ...
1
vote
0answers
29 views
Ubuntu 18.04 desktop bug - location services cannot be disabled?
I recently noticed that, despite location services being disabled in the settings menu, the location service indicator will sometimes show in the upper right corner. When I navigate to the settings -> ...
1
vote
3answers
216 views
How can I prevent a third party software to gather data from my device?
For work purposes I have to use a not open source software that collects and sends to the producer MAC address, other device IDs and other hardware datas (from its privacy policy, which is not very ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Why is my system connected to an Amazon AWS server?
From a fresh reboot I entered netstat -an | more in a terminal shell and located a foreign ip address 99.86.32.24 from netstat's output connected to my system over port 443. I've opted out of sending ...
1
vote
1answer
51 views
How is my language exposed when im on the web?
This is driving me nuts. I use a VPN (that protects against leaks and shuts down internet in case it suddenly stops working) and then go to https://whatismyipaddress.com/ to confirm that it actually ...
0
votes
0answers
102 views
Camera turns on on startup
I have a laptop which has ubuntu 19.10 on it.
Every time I start my computer, the LED indicator for the web cam turns on.
why is it happening ?
Update 1:
I ran ls -ltrh /dev/video*
and got:
crw-rw-...
0
votes
0answers
56 views
How private is visual studio code on ubuntu?
I can install visual studio code on ubuntu bionic beaver. When I go to the software manager I find it in the list of applications but I do read that:
"This application has no limitations and has ...
-2
votes
1answer
47 views
Book recommendation for a novice [closed]
I'm 30+ with a family and working in a non-IT field. I've been getting into IT privacy and security and playing around with Ubuntu. What would you recommend for me to read so I can learn more. I'm ...
1
vote
2answers
156 views
On awake the unlocked desktop shows for a blink moment [closed]
When I close my laptop, on Ubuntu 19.10, I want to prevent others from accessing my computer and also hide, whatever is shown on my screen.
Now, when I open the lid, the desktop shows for a fraction ...
0
votes
1answer
86 views
Ubuntu remembers every drive ever connected and every dvd ever inserted and PCmanFM shows it in folder panel
I am using PCManFM 1.2.5 as file manager on Ubuntu 18.04.2. When I go to my media folder, there I find listed the names of every external drive I ever connected and every disk I ever inserted in my ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
How does installing ubuntu alonside windows work?
I am curious about is there any difference between installing just Ubuntu and installing Ubuntu alongside Windows 10?
Do they run separately or together?
As you know, Windows 10 is a privacy killer ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Does Ubuntu Server 18.04.2 LTS “track” users in any way?
I am considering Ubuntu Server 18.04.2 LTS for a personal home server. Though, reading online about things like Zeitgeist and Unity Dash (Online Search Results) I became a bit concerned about privacy. ...
2
votes
0answers
318 views
Disable media key actions on KDE Plasma lock screen
It is a neat feature that there is a whitelist for certain key actions while the KDE Plasma lock screen is active. These whitelisted actions include volume and brightness control, and also media key ...
-1
votes
1answer
308 views
How to prevent someone from logging in into Ubuntu without knowing the password?
I just had my browser tabs changed when I just logged in today, it was Incognito so I can't tell if I can go back to it, but I'm very confused as to how can someone logged in to my computer without ...
13
votes
1answer
3k views
List and remove unofficially installed CA certificates
This article expose how around 18% of HTTPS connections are being detected as intercepted by MITM proxies. As the great related paper states:
To circumvent this validation, local software injects a ...
0
votes
1answer
875 views
Why Lubuntu 18.04 calls Amazon servers? (motd.ubuntu.com)
In wireshark logs I found that my Lubuntu 18.04 calls Amazon servers. See this log:
17 192.168.1.1 192.168.1.13 DNS 118 Standard query response 0x0e33 A motd.ubuntu.com A 54.194.229.79 A 52.18....
8
votes
2answers
758 views
Ubuntu 18.04: Missing Problem Reporting option in Privacy Settings
I am missing the Problem Reporting option in Privacy Settings, and I wanted to set it as manual. It was there when I installed Ubuntu, but now it's gone.
To clarify, I have Ubuntu 18.04 with the Pop ...
-2
votes
2answers
734 views
Prevent Ubuntu from leaking information to the internet upon login
I am surprised to find so little information about what I would consider a serious breach of privacy and security.
It appears ubuntu-report is sending very unique information about your system - like ...
1
vote
1answer
425 views
Can't change settings in Ubuntu 18.04 (Screen Lock)
I can't change any settings inside Screen Lock portion as they are grayed out. Settings options for other categories seems okay.
How can I fix this ?
2
votes
0answers
332 views
Enable WebRTC in Firefox for whitelisted sites only
I would like to have WebRTC generally blocked in my Firefox browser, except for a small set of websites which I trust and which need this functionality.
I know one can disable WebRTC in Firefox by ...
1
vote
0answers
80 views
Open Tor from specific Firefox urls
I have Firefox and Tor installed on my Ubuntu 18.04.
Day to day I mostly use Firefox, but in some specific cases I want to open a webpage using Tor.
For example, say I want to open askubuntu.com in ...
1
vote
0answers
97 views
Ubuntu 18.04 Unity after wakeup shows desktop before login
I have encountered a bit of a security and privacy issue on my Ubuntu 18.04 with Unity. After wake up it shortly shows my whole desktop with everything that was running on it before suspending it and ...
0
votes
1answer
1k views
Unable to change privacy settings upon install of Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
I am new to Linux with Ubuntu 18.04 LTS as of this morning.
Anyone else experienced the inability to change privacy settings upon installation? I.e. I can tap the toggle switch to the "off" position ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views
How to clear Weather location on Ubuntu 18.04 (GNOME)
On my Ubuntu 18.04 system with GNOME 3.28 on it I have set in the top-panel's calendar pull-down the weather location so it checks with the gnome-weather application the weather information for my ...
10
votes
1answer
1k views
Is there a technical reason why a Ubuntu One account is needed for livepatching?
In order to set up Livepatch on Ubuntu 18.04, one needs to have a Ubuntu One account. Clearly this choice has privacy implications, and possibly also security ones (for instance, in theory, Canonical ...
1
vote
2answers
269 views
Is it safe to use Bleachbit in a ext4 filesystem with journaling?
I want to shred a file, making it unrecoverable. I normally use the command 'bleachbit -s file'. When I was searching about it, I found out that the journaling in ext4 makes a copy of the file ...
1
vote
0answers
80 views
Have I opened myself to a hack from posting terminal output here?
So, yesterday I posed a question where I supplied two dmesg | tail outputs, plus uname -a and ls -a /boot. It disclosed my system time and my username, (plus my VPN provider and other software).
I ...
1
vote
0answers
532 views
How to disable unauthorised and automatic connections to extensions.gnome.org?
I'm fairly new to Ubuntu and using version 17.10 with Gnome 3.26.2 in a VirtualBox VM. Occasionally (once a day?) an unauthorised and automatic connection to "extensions.gnome.org" on port 443 is ...
0
votes
0answers
563 views
Firefox 57 (Quantum) Cookies exceptions not working (in Ubuntu 14.04)
When trying to add servers to black list I can't get it; I type the domain, click "Block", but nothing is added to the list.
I regret so much for updating Firefox to v57 since it's much worse ...
-2
votes
1answer
50 views
Do cookies and flash objects change with a new user account? [closed]
I think Chrome's browser cookies and flash cookies are stored in
~/.config/google-chrome/Default/Pepper Data/Shockwave Flash/WritableRoot/#SharedObjects/
When I create a new user account in Ubuntu, ...
-1
votes
1answer
524 views
Why is Ubuntu 17.10 locking the screen and asking for password?
I'm using 17.10 with Gnome. (I upgraded from Unity).
When I close my laptop and reopen I get a duff looking password prompt:
Why is this? There is only one account on this machine and under User I ...
2
votes
0answers
102 views
How to disable job name in print notifications for other logged in users?
We have a terminal server where users log in via Thinlinc. They are provided with a mate session. When a user prints a document, a notification of the successful print job pops up for every user. The ...
2
votes
1answer
588 views
Why Ubuntu Gnome needs access to my location?
Ubuntu Gnome 17.04 requests to know my location after every boot. I never experienced such thing with Linux distros before. Can anyone explain why this is so?
15
votes
6answers
4k views
Encrypted home folder still accessible after logout
I you have an account with an encrypted home folder, you can't access the user's plain text data in their home folder if that user hasn't logged in, yet, since the system last booted up. This is what ...
1
vote
0answers
545 views
Lubuntu - What is the BEST (and most of all easiest) way to monitor as well as block websites?
I set up an older Dell laptop for our kids to play with as well as use for school projects. However, just like with any technology they poke around and do what they want when no one is over their ...
1
vote
1answer
102 views
Are there any default programs in Ubuntu 16.10 which take my data and pose a privacy risk?
For instance: the Amazon icon. That's a red flag for me because some huge corporation is always up to no good. Also, there is a facebook plugin. Get my tinfoil hat and hold onto my jimmies.
Are there ...
0
votes
0answers
129 views
Is it possible to hide applications in Ubuntu 16.04?
Maybe something where you need to enter a password to access hidden applications or something? (I'm pretty new to Linux)
1
vote
1answer
4k views
AutoLogin does not turn off
Ubuntu has been on my Laptop for almost half a year now. I used to have a login password, then turned it off about two months ago. After reading this (http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/...
