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LittleSnitch for Linux

obdev.at

221–230 of 489 posts

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#221
post #167

I know it sounds crazy at this point, but with popular YouTubers switching to Linux, gamers overall well-aware of Steam on Linux advantages and switching as well, plus popular software like LittleSnitch getting ported, 2026 can without irony be named as Year of Linux Desktop, right?

> 2026 can without irony be named as Year of Linux Desktop, right?

For whom? Average desktop users? Average users don't know what LittleSnitch is, let alone calling it "popular software."

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#222
post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What else is this about? Debian repositories still contain no malware and if you install software exclusively from them, you'll be safe.

Run OpenSnitch for a while and you'll quickly realize how much of your system does phone home. Off the top of my head: - GNOME Shell (extension updates without a way to disable this, weather), - GNOME Calculator (currency exchange rates), - NetworkManager (periodic hotspot portal checks in most configurations), - GDB (debuginfod enabled by default), - Firefox (extension updates, push notifications, feature flags, tel…

> GNOME Calculator (currency exchange rates),

Which would crash (technically hang) if you blocked it. [0]

[0] https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?p=818264

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#225

I'm not a Little Snitch or Open Snitch user, I wonder if these firewalls are able to block requests done with the use of some other, allow-listed program. Say I run a script `suspicious.py' and I deny this script from making any network requests. I also have firefox which is allowed to make any HTTPS requests. If suspicious.py does something like: key = (Path.home() / '.ssh' / 'id_rsa').read_text() subprocess.Popen([…

With the literal rules described it would not be blocked. A more detailed rule (in Open Snitch at least, not as familiar with the other variants) could match e.g. whether the process's parent tree contained the python binary rather than just if python is the process binding the socket.

Would it silently allow or would you still get the notif or whatever (iirc from littlesnitch years ago)?

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#226

I'm not a Little Snitch or Open Snitch user, I wonder if these firewalls are able to block requests done with the use of some other, allow-listed program. Say I run a script `suspicious.py' and I deny this script from making any network requests. I also have firefox which is allowed to make any HTTPS requests. If suspicious.py does something like: key = (Path.home() / '.ssh' / 'id_rsa').read_text() subprocess.Popen([…

With the literal rules described it would not be blocked. A more detailed rule (in Open Snitch at least, not as familiar with the other variants) could match e.g. whether the process's parent tree contained the python binary rather than just if python is the process binding the socket.

OK, I see, so a limitation is also that I cannot block an individual script, I need to block a Python interpreter.

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#227
post #86
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given sufficient motivation the little snitch dev could essentially supply chain attack every user, or even specific users. Said motivation could be a nation state handing them $XXX million dollars

Or even sell the whole org for say $50M and no one ever mentions anything. I think the type of users it attracts (techies, crypto ppl, etc) makes it worth more too.

Like how it happened for Bartender, another macOS app which required a lot of permissions. It was sold to a company and they told no one, until a user noticed via the now defunct MacUpdater that the app signature changed.

Ben Surtees (Bartender’s original developer) burned all the good will accumulated over years in one moment. Never again can anyone trust software under that name.

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#228

I really want Little Snitch for iOS. Hopefully Apple makes the necessary frameworks available on iOS in general. Not only for supervised devices.

Same.

They are still restricting iCloud Private Relay to Safari for the most part. iOS is really wanting for privacy improvements to close the gap between marketing and reality.

Fun fact: iOS lets developers spy on when you _dismiss_ notifications:

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/usernotifications/...

Ever instantly angry-swipe-to-clear a DM notification soon as it hits your lockscreen from someone who upset you? Zuck knew y'all had beef.

Clear notifications before bed and in the morning? All those companies could know a bit more about your routine than you would've otherwise revealed if weren't in the habit of using those apps at those times.

--

The kinds of tiny things that would be pretty inconsequential on their own but that you figure maybe the Apple tax would help you avoid.

(edited with additions)

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#229
post #167

I know it sounds crazy at this point, but with popular YouTubers switching to Linux, gamers overall well-aware of Steam on Linux advantages and switching as well, plus popular software like LittleSnitch getting ported, 2026 can without irony be named as Year of Linux Desktop, right?

does wifi work yet? last year it didnt for me

Re: LittleSnitch for Linux

#230
Recently I was wondering how viable it is to launch a niche, paid tool for Linux. I found that this is a very rare model, most tools are either just free, supported by sponsorship, supported by some paid cloud-based service that accompanies the tool, use an open-core model with paid add-ons.

I wonder if the decision of Little Snitch to make the Linux version free forever was also informed by this "no way to make money selling tools on Linux" wisdom or if there was another motivation. It seems that if any tool has chances of making decent money on Linux, a product like Little Snitch, which is already well established, with working payment infrastructure would be a good candidate.

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