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Your Linux PC is NOT private out of the box (lemmy.world)
submitted 8 months ago by to c/opensource@lemmy.ml
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  • A lot of software uses systemd-journald to log errors,

  • The bash shell saves everything you type into the terminal,

  • wtmp, btmp, utmp all track exactly who is logged in and when,

  • The package manager logs all software you install and keeps the logs after uninstallation,

  • And the kernel writes part of the RAM which may contain sensitive information to the disk when your PC crashes.

While the OS isn't sending these logs to Microsoft or Google, anyone who gets into your PC while you are logged in and your data is unencrypted can see much of what you have been doing.

If you want to be private, you must disable them.

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[–] 7 points 8 months ago (2 children)

But that is a specifically crafted scenario and has nothing to do if the system is private or not. I mean at home you have privacy. Just because someone could break into it does not mean its never private. The Linux PC is private out of the box and by default, because no one else has access to it. You just created a scenario that is not out of the box, but compromised or stolen.

I understand the issue you bring up here, but the chosen language you use is wrong in my opinion. That is why the misunderstandings and why people don't agree with your statements. I think you are thinking in terms of "Private mode in a browser".

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  • [–] [S] -3 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I think you are right. My post is simply a PSA to let people know that clicking forget on a Wi-Fi network or uninstalling a Flatpak does not remove all traces.

    My scenario is also not specifically crafted; it is what happened to Ross Ulbricht.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago

    BTW one can encrypt the hard drive and data on a laptop with a password. Then even if the person changes the drive to read it on a different computer, it wouldn't have access if its encrypted. So if you are really concerned about this issue, then encrypting would be a way to fight against this potential problem.

    As for the "crafted scenario"... maybe I should work on my wording too. Lets' leave it there. I actually agree with your core message, its' just not worded in a way that people understood. Or the headline alone turned people off. Also you apparently did the same post before? That also might turn people off. Not a good practice.

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