Privacy: Every couple of minutes connection to connectivity-check.ubuntu.com

[toro22]

I cant deactivate it no where. Not in the privacy settings or any setting for that mater.

That´s a server from Google "connectivity-check.ubuntu.com".

I don't like Google for good reasons. I don't like my workstation connecting to a Google server every couple of minutes.

In Fedora I could disable this in the privacy settings, in Linux MINT 19.1 Cinnamon I can't find anything to disable this.

Blocking it in DNS for now, but this sucks.

I was about to install MINT on my laptop ( I LOVE MINT ) , but knowing that my laptop would connect to a Google server then every couple of minutes is a big no-go for me

Anybody got clue how to disable this?

[gm10]

Code: Select all

apt purge network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu

but if you want to stay invisible from Ubuntu you'll also have to at least edit your time server settings as well the official repositories list and remove the apport package (automatic crash reporting). Maybe more that I'm not thinking of right now.

Staying invisible from Google, on the other hand, means disconnecting your Internet.

[Hoser Rob]

... Staying invisible from Google, on the other hand, means disconnecting your Internet.

Good point, really the only way to make your computer 100% secure and private is to buy it, take it home, and never take it out of the box.

Truth is, nobody will pay for web apps, the web app you install on your machine is just a front end for a billion $$$ web server somewhere, and that has to be paid for somehow.

[NeroR]

What is the purpose of the package network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu? I cannot find useful information.
Or, the better question: What are the consequences of purging this package?

[gm10]

Or, the better question: What are the consequences of purging this package?

Mostly you'll lose captive portal detection.

[catweazel]

Or, the better question: What are the consequences of purging this package?

Mostly you'll lose captive portal detection.

To the OP...

In plain English, it means you'll not see login pages when connecting to wifi networks so you may not be able to login to them at all.

[Pierre]

as well as that - some folks do get concerned by the LinuxMint Update Manager:
- that always seems to ping for Google.
this is the part of the LinuxMint System, that is used to determine if the LinuxMint System is actually on-line,,
& therefore is able to download any available LinuxMint updates.

there is no need to be concerned with such ping(s) as they are Not detrimental to your system,
- Nor to your privacy, either.

[gm10]

as well as that - some folks do get concerned by the LinuxMint Update Manager:
- that always seems to ping for Google.
this is the part of the LinuxMint System, that is used to determine if the LinuxMint System is actually on-line,,
& therefore is able to download any available LinuxMint updates.

there is no need to be concerned with such ping(s) as they are Not detrimental to your system,
- Nor to your privacy, either.

As the current lead developer on said Update Manager, I can assure you there is no such thing on LM 19.x (I doubt it was there before but I'm not as familiar with old versions). It does not connect to Google or anywhere else to determine connectivity, the only connections should be to the configured repositories (if you added third-party software like Google Chrome then it will connect to Google's repository, of course).

If you see it pinging google outside of that scope then you should be concerned indeed, because it shouldn't do that... (best make a new thread or submit an issue on github if you've got evidence to that extent).

[catweazel]

If you see it pinging google outside of that scope then you should be concerned indeed, because it shouldn't do that... (best make a new thread or submit an issue on github if you've got evidence to that extent).

Do you have any idea how much your skills and experience are appreciated?

Ok, well, if nobody's told you, I appreciate your skills and knowledge. I'm sure others do but I'm not known for being backward in coming forward

[smurphos]

Ok, well, if nobody's told you, I appreciate your skills and knowledge. I'm sure others do but I'm not known for being backward in coming forward

Hear hear - and I'm very glad that gm10 continues to take the time to remain active on the forums as-well as a member of the dev team.

[gm10]

If you see it pinging google outside of that scope then you should be concerned indeed, because it shouldn't do that... (best make a new thread or submit an issue on github if you've got evidence to that extent).

Do you have any idea how much your skills and experience are appreciated?

Ok, well, if nobody's told you, I appreciate your skills and knowledge. I'm sure others do but I'm not known for being backward in coming forward

It's good to hear, thank you!

And experience comes from doing, so everybody is invited to "do".
(not meaning you specifically, I know you've got more experience than I ever will)

[catweazel]

(not meaning you specifically, I know you've got more experience than I ever will)

No, mate. Most of the stuff I know I've forgotten

[gm10]

Just shows how much you know.

[catweazel]

Just shows how much you know.

lol

[karlchen]

Hi, folks.

Sitting in front of Ubuntu 18.04.02 Mate right now. Checking the presence of the evil software package network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu. Yet, it is not present here. And I am pretty sure that
a) I have never come across it before
b) I have never uninstalled it from this system myself
I am also pretty sure that I do not miss any network functionality. Which one should I miss?

Best regards,
Karl

Code: Select all

karl@unimatrix0:~$ inxi -Sx3
System:    Host: unimatrix0 Kernel: 4.15.0-46-generic i686 bits: 32 compiler: gcc v: 7.3.0 Desktop: MATE 1.20.1 
           info: mate-panel wm: marco 1.20.1 dm: LightDM 1.26.0 Distro: Ubuntu 18.04.2 LTS (Bionic Beaver) 
karl@unimatrix0:~$

Code: Select all

karl@unimatrix0:~$ apt-cache policy network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu
network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 1.10.6-2ubuntu1.1
  Version table:
     1.10.6-2ubuntu1.1 500
        500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-updates/main i386 Packages
        500 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic-security/main i386 Packages
     1.10.6-2ubuntu1 500
        500 http://de.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu bionic/main i386 Packages

From the network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu software package description:

NetworkManager configuration to enable connectivity checking

This package contains a configuration file which enables NetworkManager's
connectivity checking functionality.

NetworkManager will try to connect to an Ubuntu server to determine the connection status.

This is particularly useful for captive portal detection.

No user data is transmitted in the connectivity checks, but merely contacting
the Ubuntu connectivity check servers reveals that the user is running an
Ubuntu(-based) operating system with NetworkManager.

Now all I have to find out what the term "captive portal detection" means. What the heck is a "captive portal"? => OK. Google helpd me find out. => I knew the thing, just not the term.
Come across a captive portal, whenever I am on holiday and connect to the hotel network. The first address which I try to connect to in my browser will be ignored and the hotel network login page presented instead.
This works, although there is no network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu on my systems.

Just checked on my Mint 19 Cinnamon. It is not present here, either.

[NeroR]

Or, the better question: What are the consequences of purging this package?

Mostly you'll lose captive portal detection.

To the OP...

In plain English, it means you'll not see login pages when connecting to wifi networks so you may not be able to login to them at all.

Okay, but for me there are some points why I'm not happy at all with this.

• First, I see no real need and also no real benefit of a connection to connectivity-check.ubuntu.com
• For desktops (also HTPC's), which will never be in a foreign network, especially with a captive portal, there should be absolutely no need for this.
• I don't have installed this package knowingly on my HTPC (with Kodi, Tvheadend but also some other packages/applications).
• I'm not sure if this package comes with the Mint ISO or was included with other software. In any case it's not okay for me, to pin this package to (any) user. This package should be removed (and banned from Linux Mint ISO, if included).

BTW: I'm also not happy at all with such big initial ISO's for installation, like they are provided by Linux Mint (1.8 GB). An office suite or an image manipulation program, for example, should not be the real scope of an operation system.


P.S.: I hope Debian (LMDE) will be the basis in future and Linux Mint will quit the Ubuntu base soon.

[smurphos]

Hi, folks.

Sitting in front of Ubuntu 18.04.02 Mate right now. Checking the presence of the evil software package network-manager-config-connectivity-ubuntu. Yet, it is not present here.

Just checked on my Mint 19 Cinnamon. It is not present here, either.

In the repos it's only a dependency of the Gnome desktop environments so presumably the Ubuntu flavours choose whether to pre-install it or not and use other methods to provide the functionality if necessary. I think all it does is allow Network manager to tell you are on a captive portal (i.e. you've got network but no internet) and probably disallows things like background apt refreshes from running.

It's listed on the Cinnamon 19 manifest - perhaps it's not installed on systems upgraded from 18.x?

I've got it. It's a default package in all the 19 and 19.1 manifests for all desktop environments..

BTW - the concept is not an Ubuntu invention - the original package comes from Debian Buster - it's not pre-installed in LMDE because it's in Stretch backports / Buster only

https://packages.debian.org/stretch-bac ... ity-debian

The Debian version uses http://network-test.debian.org/nm - which actually a Debian registered server, whereas Ubuntu appear to be renting space on Google Cloud for the purpose.

[mattz]

NeroR: Your point about desktops and captive portals is well-put. I just came across this connectivity check as a *major problem* on a desktop using Ubuntu 18.04. The SSD image is a clone from a "perfect" laptop on which I'd never experienced the route metric problem (20100, 20600). It occurred in my home LAN though, rendering the network useless at times. Creating the zero-length file "20-connectivity-ubuntu.conf" in /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d solved the problem [no connectivity check, so no issues if the server is down or there is network congestion on the WAN]. This was a good thread to come across, and thanks to all on it.

[SteelChickens]

I just remove this package. You can still go to captive portals and log in just fine. Their DNS will redirect you, go to 1.1.1.1, or the ip of the gateway.


Might want to get rid of kerneloops and geoclue2 as well if you want more privacy.

[trytip]

The Lack of Spying in Linux Mint <<< someone just made a video about this same thing. there is no spying in Mint