[xubuntu-users] How wide spread is Linux spyware?

[MR ZenWiz]

On Fri, Jul 10, 2015 at 2:20 PM, Ralf Mardorf
<ralf.mardorf at rocketmail.com> wrote:
>
> Actually two Xubuntu users report about that pop up windows, so it
> isn't FUD. You might want to read the Ubuntu Studio devel archive from
> today, to get more information about this topic and to read about
> several additional examples.
>
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-studio-devel/2015-July/date.html
>

The FUD is more along the lines of me not seeing exactly what to
disable, particularly in those pop-up windows.

> Perhaps you could explain why the root password is needed for those pop
> up windows the subscribers from this list reported.
>

I believe that this is only required for certain reports that need to
access system information that most non-root users can't see.  Sort of
along the same lines as the updates that ask for root access to update
the kernel.

> Btw. do you really believe that RMS spreads FUD? Any comment to the RMS
> link?
>

Certainly not intentionally, but incomplete information can have the
same effect...

> The approach of Canonical is the same as that of restricted OS, you
> wont find such things for my Arch Linux install, excepted of some
> apps that misbehave, such as atom-editor, sylpheed, ardour, firefox ...
> there is absolutely no reason that apps by default connect to the
> Internet, even if they only should check for updates without collecting
> data. The solution is to not use such apps, that's quite easy to do, if
> you set up your own install, IOW when using Arch, LFS and a few other
> distros, but it's harder to do, when using distros that provide a ready
> to use environment OOTB, as e.g. the Ubuntu flavours do.
>

True.  If I wanted omplete control of my distro, I'd use Debian and
spend a lot of my time configuring it just so.

What I like about Xubuntu is that it is close to a good starting point
for me with features over which I have enough (for me) control..
Others' MMV.

I'm not sure I would classify the sort of apps/programs discussed here
as "spyware."  That term carries heavy serious connotations of 1984
and such like.  I'd like to think that most of these are actually
features I can use or lose at my discretion.  Must be my own fantasy.
:-)

Cheers.