Linux Software that You Use to Replace Windows Software

Discussion in 'all things UNIX' started by AutoCascade, Aug 24, 2015.

  1. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2013
    Posts:
    2,115
    Location:
    Brasil
    Hehehehe. When I first noticed that Parabola's Iceweasel's useragent was "Windows" I said "WHAAT?". I change it to Linux x86_64 because I don't want my MEGA account history to have a "Windows PC" session, because I don't check what IP I have by the time I access my MEGA account.
     
  2. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2013
    Posts:
    166
    Location:
    Earth
    About Icecat says 38.2 and I looked at the list of installed packages and this is the one I get for Icecat: icecat 38.2.0_gnu1-1 [Edit: It's the one you get via pacman]
    I am no expert and like you said, the whole fingerprint issue is a very complex one. The more addons you use, the more likely it is to be tracked because of them. The trackers are getting more complex and to be honest I don't know if I am surfing more privately than any other user. Like you pointed out you have to do something to not be tracked to easily or leaking IP (media peer connection). The whole geolocation stuff is rather annoying.
    I do use the Iceweasel and I like it a lot but I did have to disable a lot of the stuff that isn't even in the about:config of Icecat anymore.
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2015
  3. Joxx

    Joxx Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 5, 2012
    Posts:
    1,718
  4. summerheat

    summerheat Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2015
    Posts:
    2,199
    An interesting read is the Firefox Lockdown thread and this project.
     
  5. zakazak

    zakazak Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    Posts:
    529
    Nice to know. I have been a Chrome user for the last months or maybe a year since I didnt care that much about it. I wanted to make the switch to firefox for privacy though..but seems like that isn't that much of an improvement.

    Unfertenuately Chromium isnt any better.
     
  6. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2013
    Posts:
    2,115
    Location:
    Brasil
    Nononononno!

    Just plain simple Firefox ("vanilla", without modifications) is bad. Iceweasel is better, and Parabola/Trisquel's Iceweasel or Icecat is even better.

    Chrome is a lot worse than Firefox in regards to privacy, MUCH worse.
    Chromium was supposed to be OpenSource, but still there is telemetry, and it silently downloaded a proprietary blob that allowed Chromium to listen to your Mic.

    You are more than welcome to use Iceweasel.
     
  7. MisterB

    MisterB Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 31, 2013
    Posts:
    1,267
    Location:
    Southern Rocky Mountains USA
    Chrome is definitely not for privacy. Google is good at the opposite end of security: Authentication. They are very good at account security but you have to sacrifice a lot of privacy to benefit fully from it. Chrome is a client for Google services more than anything else. If you don't use Google, there are other Chromium browsers like the new Opera that don't come with the Google baggage. I've been playing around with both lately and they aren't that much different in the way the look or work but Chrome is hardwired to Google while Opera is not.
     
  8. zakazak

    zakazak Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    Posts:
    529
    Totally agree with Chrome/Chromium and the google talk backround download in chroimium is the reason why I wanted to switch away in the first place.

    But trusting a browser that jhas been modified by a random 3rd party (Iceweasel,Icecat,...)?
     
  9. UnknownK

    UnknownK Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2012
    Posts:
    160
    Location:
    Unknown
    Really, it will be very difficult for anybody to find more trustworthy people than those behind Icecat(GNU), Iceweasel vanilla(Debian) or Iceweasel modified (FSF-endorsed Parabola/Trisqel).
     
  10. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2013
    Posts:
    166
    Location:
    Earth
    Thanks, I just was about to write this:

    Your baker might try to poison you. It's hard to go through life without trusting anyone (does not equal trusting people blindly). In any case, using free software when possible would be a good start
     
  11. summerheat

    summerheat Registered Member

    Joined:
    May 16, 2015
    Posts:
    2,199
    This is certainly true with the default settings. But most of those privacy-invading things can be changed/modified/blocked, e.g. by selecting another default search engine, forbidding 3rd-party cookies and only allowing session cookies, etc. And you can block behind-the-scene requests with uMatrix in order to prohibit connections to most Google services to such an extent that the browser is nearly crippled (e.g. if you block all behind-the-scene requests without distinction with uMatrix, Chrome/Chromium is not even able to install/update any extensions from the Webstore). Other hidden connections can be controlled by specific command line switches. Example: If you access the Google Webstore all extensions are disabled for "security" reasons - but if you start Chromium/Chrome with the command-line switch
    Code:
    --host-rules="MAP *.google-analytics.com 0.0.0.0","MAP *.googleadservices.com 0.0.0.0","MAP *.doubleclick.net 0.0.0.0","MAP *.googletagservices.com 0.0.0.0"
    those Google services are blocked also on that domain.

    Bottom line: With the right counter-measures privacy concerns are greatly reduced.
     
  12. zakazak

    zakazak Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    Posts:
    529
    Thanks, I didnt know that those are the guys behind the software ! :eek:

    IceCat latest version v31
    IceWeasel latest version v40
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2015
  13. dogbite

    dogbite Registered Member

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2012
    Posts:
    1,290
    Location:
    EU
    Shutter is an excellent replacement of Windows Snipping Tool.
    Clementine replaces WMP or other players.
    For the rest, all is said.
     
  14. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2013
    Posts:
    2,115
    Location:
    Brasil
    You don't have to blindly trust Iceweasel like you do with Chrome.

    Iceweasel is FOSS, Free and OpenSource Software. You can look at the source code, see what it does and how the browser operates, then modify the bits you don't like. Not only that, but Iceweasel is originally a product of a very respected global non-profit organization: Debian. But since Debian's Iceweasel still uses the same Firefox store as the other Firefox'es (meaning it can still link the browser to addons that are not Free-as-in-freedom) and isn't as privacy friendly as IceCat (but still a huge improvement over vanilla Firefox), the guys at Trisquel decided to do better, and the guys at Parabola use the same browser. And since both Trisquel and Parabola are knwon for being complete GNU/Linux operating systems, that are even recommened by the gnu website and Stallman himself, you can trust it. Or dont, look at the source code and see for yourself ;) The point is, it's made by people who actually care about you and care about your privacy, and that make the "recipe" for this cake available to anyone trying to see if there's poison to be eaten; not some obfuscated company who cares about making money on you by throwing closed-source browsers that only Zeus knows what they actually do.
     
  15. Balthazar

    Balthazar Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2013
    Posts:
    166
    Location:
    Earth
    Thanks. The lockdown thread has been helpful already.

    @amarildojr
    Correct and nicely put. I like the philosophy of the GNU project and that is something that I think deserves and needs support. Especially in times where fewer and fewer people seem to care.

    @dogbite
    I don't mean to sound pedantic but I read that Clementine is sending information to Google.
    http://thesimplecomputer.info/choosing-a-linux-music-player
    I don't know if this is true today and what it really does but I like it when programmes only connect to the internet when it's necessary.
     
  16. zakazak

    zakazak Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    Posts:
    529
    I will take a look at it :) currently I am still trying to use Arh as my daily OS but I encounter dislikes or missing stuff every now and then which makes me wonder if Linux could really replace my windows. But we will see :)
     
  17. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2005
    Posts:
    1,926
    Kingsoft Office has been renamed to WPS office. It has an improved LInux version: WPS Office for Linux:

    http://wps-community.org/download.html

    I have been using this Office suite instead of LibreOffice on my Ubuntu 14.04.3. Best compatibility with MS Office you'll get on a Linux OS.

    Regards,
    oliverjia
     
  18. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2013
    Posts:
    2,115
    Location:
    Brasil
    Yup. If it wasn't by Stallman we would all be using Windows-10-a-like systems and programs to this day. We wouldn't even have Linux.

    If you need help just create a thread here and me and the guys will gladly help :) Just don't create an "anti-malware and antivirus for protecting Arch" thread because we all know where that one will go hehehehe
     
  19. zakazak

    zakazak Registered Member

    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2010
    Posts:
    529
    Which is still one of my biggest cons about Linux/Arch..no proper anti malware solutions :(
    Which is another piece of software that should be mentioned here:

    I have no linux replacement for: HitmanPro Alert, ESS (ESET HIPS, BB, AV), Mbam Pro.
     
  20. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2013
    Posts:
    2,115
    Location:
    Brasil
    As we already mentioned, you don't need that ;) There are 4 pages of well explained reasons for why it's dumb to try and bring such products to Linux.

    EDIT: I think it would be nice leave any comment on this subject on that thread and not this one.
     
  21. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    OK, slightly on topic, sort of, but someone once asked a question on the Ubuntu forums about possible Linux equivalents to SUPERAntiSpyware for the removal of tracking cookies.

    I've often wondered about this, any suggestions?
     
  22. elapsed

    elapsed Registered Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Posts:
    7,076
    The best way to deal with "tracking" cookies is to prevent them being created in the first place: Block 3rd party cookies in your browser, which will deal with 99% of tracking cookies. No need to install anything.

    Install EasyPrivacy in [browser addon of your choice] to block the rest.
     
  23. oliverjia

    oliverjia Registered Member

    Joined:
    Jul 21, 2005
    Posts:
    1,926
    You can configure most popular browsers not to accept any third party cookies. Then purge the temp folder frequently.
     
  24. Amanda

    Amanda Registered Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2013
    Posts:
    2,115
    Location:
    Brasil
    My browser is configured so that no cookie is accepted by default, and if I ever need cookies I just put them in the "exceptions" list (configured to last only for the current session).
     
  25. Daveski17

    Daveski17 Registered Member

    Joined:
    Nov 11, 2008
    Posts:
    10,239
    Location:
    Lloegyr
    OK, thanks.
     
  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.