Hello, Any...

Given my previous positive comments about Midori (now punish-locked at...) low-spec-tweaks-for-dullard-initiates-and-wise-paupers-t6372.html ...I must now provide a cautionary note. Since mentioning Midori in that post I have"bumped into" discussion about Zeitgeist - an activity logging tool - that can be a dependency of that browser. (In some distros/usage yes; some no.)

Before continuing with that particular discussion, I would like to make two observations:
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(1.) Previously I worked exclusively in the Windows environment. Over some years a few (publicized) security issues made most WinUsers particularly observant about keeping their systems secure - or at least making attempts to do so. Users originally had to learn about the need for Antivirus and Firewall for protection from attacks, but later they also learned of the damage that"keyloggers","trojans" and"metadata collectors" can do. There are numerous programs - both O/S-sourced, commercial and freeware - that attempt to prevent such attacks, and provide a secure system.
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(2.) As a Linucks Pnewbie [Post-newbie; silent"n"; copyright waived] I have found that"vigilance" does not seem to be such an active concern for Developers or Users - generally speaking. Here's why (and I now continue with the opening point)...

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Here are a couple of links for you to read...

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Sept 2015
- Mentions Midori dependency of Zeitgeist (which is a service) and that Zeitgeist's purpose is an activity logger as"metatool".

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- Interesting details about Zeitgeist's purpose, and includes an interesting connection to Gnome inside Linux (ie DM to the O/S)

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Oct 2012
- Mentions Midori and Zeitgeist linkage, and Debian bundling.

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Dec 2014
- Mentions Midori disables Zeitgeist support. [Now I find that somewhat mysterious. Zeitgeist is set in as a (optional?) dependency for Midori - but Midori explicitly disables it? Bit odd?]

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I am not particularly damning of Midori (which I really like) or Zeitgeist (which, as I understand it, provides special usage for inter-application info transfer). I am discussing the"potential" they create.

That said, the above are only a couple of links demonstrating a deep capacity for activity-logging inside Linux. It is for others - ie Specialists - to promote, or warn of, consequences.

For me, I am a little undecided. On the one hand I have the convenience, usability and desirable functionality of a neat bare-metal browser, but on the other hand I have concerns about either (meta-)data-logging or recording-capability being embedded into"distro activity". (That cautiousness derives from Windows usage and the"Security" mindset it develops.)

LEGITIMATE BACKGROUND POINT (1.)
Given that the United States' National Security Agency (NSA) is the developer of SELinux (qv
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) - and the SELinux package has now been totally embedded into many Linux distros I still wonder about Ian Murdock's unusual death!!. There is the potential for some murky linkage(s) being"implemented" at a level (or in a way) Newbies, Pnewbies [Post-Newbie; silent"n"; copyright waived],"Advanced" Users or even Geeks may not be aware of.

LEGITIMATE BACKGROUND POINT (2.)
Inevitably - and unfortunately - some will say, "What's the problem with"data/activity logging"? It's useful if you want to implement slick"useability" functions across the System and/or Desktop Environment. Many also go on to parrot, "If you've got nothing to hide from Government then you've got nothing to fear (about your usage)". Well; tell that to people who have been done-in under such a careless"civil-liberties" regime - and be certain to include people of any"make-up", or"persuasion", or"activist-bent", or"political opponents" - even at the most senior level in other countries (like Chancellor Merkel, President Hollande, President Widiyono and others). Sorry; when it comes to U.S."national security" their technology efforts have demonstrated NO boundaries - not International Law; not scrupulous Commercial probity; not Civil Rights; not Human Rights; nor Common Decency. No thanks! Of course, the real problem is not necessarily only for Americans, but is a serious consideration for Citizens in OTHER countries too because the U.S. Constitution has no explicit reference to external persons'/peoples' Rights whatsoever - which are often trampled on. [Supporting Reference: extra-judicial killings by drones; Country invasions; Gov overthrow by clandestine"ops", and even .gov overthrow by clandestine ops.] (Don't worry; I am - and have been - also very critical of my own government in Australia when it/they undertake, or are complicit in, such activities.)

N.B.
I assure you that this second post of mine here (which some would criticize as"political","social","shallow" and/or"beyond Linux") would not have been done IF I had not stumbled across these facts with Midori and Zeitgeist (and others). However, in their activity I see the potential for problems to be extremely serious for Linux and Users if ongoing vigilance - or an occasional critique - is not made about such stuff. Therefore, insofar as you (the Reader) might be disconcerted to see this in a Linux Forum, I offer a reserved apology for that only.

P.S.
I am sure the criticism will come (and I am pretty sure I already know the form it will take). However, it would be nice to know about "technical" details and implications, rather than just the"criticism".

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Furthermore, returning closer to the initial"technical" intent of the thread, it would be nice to hear from Others about their efforts to"tame" a (ie any) distro on olde, low-spec systems. [Just as a"for-instance" only:- I still want to see a listing of any Services that can be shut down, or even managed off/on/off (ie temporarily as required) - including potential ramifications of doing so. Another one? Ok on a Services-related issue, some distros I have tested were installed with a"use-local-time-only" setting, and with the NTP (net time protocol) Service turned off, yet the system has still tried to"connect" to a time server. Puzzling.]

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So, now, I also ask - after visiting one of my favourite website reads - dedoimedo - if I should install Franz on my low-spec system, in light of the logging of meta-data/activity for inter-app usability. Any thoughts on that now?

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>>>>>Having said all the above I note (after checking in Synaptic) that I have zeitgeist-core installed, although I can't tell you if it is functioning or not (I don't know how). From one of the Wikipedia links above I might assume (assumption always being a problem for an ass) that it is connected with Gnome activity.

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To be clear in this forum (and I repeat again) this is in NO way a criticism of Antix, just forum engagement. I am finding Antix to be very usable and enjoyable.


Regards,
aka boombaby

HI CHIEF !!!
(caps AND color, hehehe)

I too am cautious regarding potential tracking/privacy issues.
Hey, I just checked the dependencies of the midori package in debian testing repository

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^---- see, it depends only on libzeitgeist-2.0-0 which is not the actual/full zeitgeist logger;
it's just a lib which provides a code hook in case a user DOES wish to have the full zeitgeist mechanism installed/working on his system.
(In that case, installation of an additional, separate,"zeitgeist" package would be necessary.)

ps:
I am not a fan of midori. I would encourage you to tryout the Qupzilla web browser as a resource-light alternative to midori.
(Qupzilla capitalized above to avoid lowercase p|q|g confusion, in case browser is rendering san serif font and reader is dyslexic and/or unfamiliar with 'qupzilla'.)

Also, your post mentions selinux.
(Not capitalized here perhaps due to a temporary local shortage of uppercase 's' chars here in Lower Podunk.)
FYI, selinux is not enabled by default in antix install.

LEGITIMATE BACKGROUND POINT (Sec. 17, subsection 'D', Paragraph 4):
cheese is real good food {wink} {smile} {hahaha}