Should Iron-Browser continue to be packaged and updated for PCLinuxOS?

[ka9yhd]

We are using Linux and we all have our choices. If you want Iron, you have your every right to use it. You're just not gonna get it here.

You are the people who at one time were advising people not to install apps not from the repos due to it could break our systems.

So now you are limiting my choice because YOU do not like it?

[Neal ManBear]

..... So now you are limiting my choice because YOU do not like it?

     
This poll is about giving the community the choice. Do we put it in our repo or not? You can vote your choice, just as every other community member can vote her/his choice. That is not limiting your choice.     

[T6]

We are using Linux and we all have our choices. If you want Iron, you have your every right to use it. You're just not gonna get it here.

You are the people who at one time were advising people not to install apps not from the repos due to it could break our systems.

So now you are limiting my choice because YOU do not like it?

ask people to avoid install apps outside the repos is not a terrible prohibition

we cannot use every single app you download and install from god knows where you got it and who modified it with what purpose

if it is secure for your pclinux install, other apps, your personal information or not

so we tell everyone that limit to use repos because we all use repos only with the few exceptions of some printer drivers and other similar packages becuase if we use the same apps we all test it is easy to fix other users problems, because we all share the same installation environment

what you say, in that tone, having more than 1000 posts to a admin of the forum lets us know that you are not comfortable with how we do things but you can do what you wish to do with your install and your pc, including install other apps and distros

you can install whatever you want on your pc, it is your decision but don't come to the forum asking questions of x or y thing not working and after many days trying to help you with your problems we discover that you installed kernel x or app y that caused problems

[CaptainSarcastic]

We are using Linux and we all have our choices. If you want Iron, you have your every right to use it. You're just not gonna get it here.

You are the people who at one time were advising people not to install apps not from the repos due to it could break our systems.

So now you are limiting my choice because YOU do not like it?

Iron is scamware, only existing to make money for the "author" in a deceitful manner.

Iron is, code-wise, functionally identical to Chromium.

Chromium is in the repos.

Considering the above, I fail to see how there is a compelling argument to keep Iron in the repos.

[insanitybit]

We are using Linux and we all have our choices. If you want Iron, you have your every right to use it. You're just not gonna get it here.

You are the people who at one time were advising people not to install apps not from the repos due to it could break our systems.

So now you are limiting my choice because YOU do not like it?

Consider this - would you want malware to be in the repo? As in a legitimate virus.

Your argument is that all software should be in the repo because it's about choice. You have the choice to install malware - just get it somewhere else. Software that benefits from the user without the user benefiting from the software shouldn't be supporting - in Iron's case it's fairly dangerous because it is often very far behind on patches. When Chrome's sandbox escapes were found (pwnium, vupen) Chrome was updated within hours - Iron users waited weeks.

It's not legitimate software, it provides nothing to the user, it provides a false sense of privacy to the user, it degrades user security by slowing down the patch cycle.

The choice is yours to install it, it shouldn't be supported by the repos.

[NoIBnds]

at least you could easily configure Chromium to be even safer.

Ok how do I make Chromium safer?  Maybe some links or a how to?

Right click on the menu button- Edit Applications-- go to Internet, then right click on Chrome and click copy, then go up to Internet entry again, and click on Internet again and click Paste. You now have a 2nd menu entry of Chrome-2  Click on the New Chrome entry (Chrome 2) and in the command box add --incognito, so it look like this:
chromium-browser %u --purge-memory-button --incognito       This will start Chrome in Private Browsing mode.

OR if you have chrome open and running and you want to enter Private Browsing mode--  use the shortcut key Ctrl + Shift + N or choose the Open New incognito window from the menu (Wrench) .

[insanitybit]

In terms of making Chrome more privacy oriented there are a few choices.

Natively Chrome can do anything Iron does (ie: disables a few features, but with Chrome you're given the choice of which ones to disable - I've posted an explanation of each one in the link on page 1 or 2)

chrome://chrome/settings/
-> Show Advanced Settings
-> Privacy

Uncheck what you like.

You can also modify your Chrome shortcut to include some privacy oriented parameters:
--no-referrers  "" This will remove headers so when you click a link the website doesn't see where you're coming from.

You can also move Chrome's HTTP and Media cache to RAM. To do this add the parameter

--disk-cache-dir="/tmp/ram/" and then mount that to RAM however your distro supports it/ in your preferred method. This means that when you restart your computer the disk cache will be wiped - the benefit being that anyone who gains physical access to teh system can not use your disk cache to gain information on your browsing habits. This goes best with the next flag.

--incognito "" This flag puts you in a private browsing mode that restricts third party cookie reads and prevents site data from being written to the disk.

–enable-strict-site-isolation  "" Right now this flag will likely break things. It does prevent specific XHTML Cookie reads.

[insanitybit]

There are downsides to these things though. The things in Privacy settings make your browsing faster and easier. Consider what they provide and how they impact your privacy before making a decision.

And adding "--no-referrer" is a strong way to preserve privacy but consider that if you were all to use that I would have never found this site. Referrer information is very helpful for bloggers like myself, even if it certainly can come with an impact on your privacy.

[Archie]

We are using Linux and we all have our choices. If you want Iron, you have your every right to use it. You're just not gonna get it here.

You are the people who at one time were advising people not to install apps not from the repos due to it could break our systems.

So now you are limiting my choice because YOU do not like it?

I still advise PCLOS users not to install from outside the repo. And I am not limiting your choice, my argument had been echoed by those who already understood. Do yourself a favor and take a look at the major distros and see if they have Iron.

[joechimp]

I appreciate threads like this because they show me things I did not know. I used Iron and was totally unaware of the bad points to using it. I believed it to be a stripped down version of Chrome without the privacy issues. I see from what I read here that those things were not true.
I didn't know that I could do the exact same thing with Chrome and not have to feed a bad guy who developed this with ulterior motives.

So I will remove Iron from my system and install Chrome. Or was that Chromium?

Thanks for all that clarified this situation.

[RobNJ]

So I will remove Iron from my system and install Chrome. Or was that Chromium?

Chromium. And make sure it;s the one marked "chromium browser". or you'll end up with an unexpected game, instead of a browser. Ask me how I know! 

[joechimp]

So I will remove Iron from my system and install Chrome. Or was that Chromium?

Chromium. And make sure it;s the one marked "chromium browser". or you'll end up with an unexpected game, instead of a browser. Ask me how I know! 

Ok , How do you.....Nah 

Thanks though for the tip. 

[Just17]

Arising from this thread and the very useful adjustments listed for the Chromium browser to lock down privacy etc ...  particularly a number from insanitybit .... I would like to suggest that a 'tips & tricks' page be constructed which lists those adjustments, and gives some basic details on how they should be applied and what the consequences of using each would be.

This at least would allow the user to do as much as was done in Iron, or not do it if they prefer.

Would someone who knows about these things care to write up the page?  Thank you 


Now, that is enabling choice!

[T6]

also a article in the magazine?

[joechimp]

I am removing Iron today and installing the Chromium browser as suggested. I will tweak what I can and wait to see a list of other potential privacy tweaks. thanks all for enlightening me.