Data collected by OS

A

animado

Until recently, I used Ubuntu, but I discovered that Ubuntu uses a GNOME application called Zeitgeist to collect information about my computer use. This collected information includes file use, program use, websites visited, conversations, etc. This information is made available to other applications.

I am looking for an OS that does not collect information like this. Does FreeBSD fill that need? It sounds like GNOME/Zeitgeist may be the data snatching culprit. Boo. I am not a Linux genius and I need a graphic interface. (Note: the privacy application in the Ubuntu GNOME control center does NOT stop data collection, and I could not remove Zeitgeist without injuring the OS.) I understand that Fedora uses a similar gremlin called Tracker.

Questions:
  • Does FreeBSD (with a Windows style graphic interface) collect user data regarding computer use?
  • Is there a good beginner book for FreeBSD?
Thanks.
 
FreeBSD itself doesn't collect any data. Third-party software might. Zeitgeist is part of GNOME, which is third-party software and NOT a part of FreeBSD itself. Perhaps Zeitgeist can be turned off when GNOME is installed from the Ports Collection (I wouldn't know, I don't use that stuff anyway). Besides, if you want a full-blown desktop environment there are other options besides GNOME.

BTW, if you're looking for something that's easy to install and that comes with desktop environments working out of the box, you may want to have a look at PC-BSD.

For books on FreeBSD, see this thread. Most of the references there are rather technical, but there are some books for beginners as well.
 
On PC-BSD bsdstats are turned on by default. It supposed to be benign, still information leaks without user awareness and consent.
 
My opinion is that FreeBSD offers the most freedom of what's around. After trying PC-BSD on one machine for a year, I decided it is not at all the same as FreeBSD with KDE which is what I'm really liking now. Just an opinion. :)

For transitioning from Linux to FreeBSD, the FreeBSD Quickstart Guide for Linux® Users by John Ferrell is a great document.
 
CoTones said:
On PC-BSD bsdstats are turned on by default. It supposed to be benign, still information leaks without user awareness and consent.
Click to expand...

BSDstats isn't the same as what the OP is talking about. BSDstats, collects the version of *BSD (FreeBSD, NetBSD, PC-BSD and I think OpenBSD), the architecture of the machine, country and ports installed and sends it to a website, http://www.bsdstats.org/. It does not constantly monitor what a user is doing and such. BSDstats was made as an attempt to gather statistics in hopes of getting more support from hardware vendors, if memory serves me correctly, as one of it goals.

I remember a discussion about it being turned on by default in some release of FreeBSD as a means to get more statistics, but I believe eventually that stopped after many people objected. You'd probably need to search the mailing list archives of questions@freebsd.org about six years or so back to get all the details.
 
The articles about removing it from Ubuntu didn't work?
 
Thank you for all your posts.

@zspider asked... The articles about removing it from Ubuntu didn't work?

My experience was that zeitgeist cannot be removed without screwing up the OS. I reinstalled Ubuntu several times, trying all the "fixes" I found on the Internet. Either zeitgeist continued to collect information, or the OS was a mess.

As soon as I discovered this "feature," I tried fixing it. That failing, I am looking for an alternative. PC-BSD looks good.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't know if bsdstats is still working, but I notice that the web site has been down for a little while.
 
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