Privacy

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Tails no longer recommending balenaEtcher (tails.net)

submitted 2 days ago by xela@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

183 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I am shocked by this - the quote in below is very concerning:

"However, in 2024, the situation changed: balenaEtcher started sharing the file name of the image and the model of the USB stick with the Balena company and possibly with third parties."

Can't see myself using this software anymore...

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[–] Xttweaponttx@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Balenaetcher has, for me at least, failed to write to USBs for the last 3 years or so that I've tried to use it - meanwhile random iso writers from flatpak have been more reliable for me. Very obnoxious that so many iso related sites recommend it. Rufus kicks tons of ass, if for whatever reason you're still on windows.

Also on most distros I've tried, the disk utility has some sort of right click or context menu that gets you a 'restore disk image' button that works great as well.

Edit= I used Popsicle USB writer from flatpak on steam deck with no issue today! Made by system76 (makers of popOS) and found on flatpak. It is absolutely no frills, but works well enough to write an SD card image for a raspberry pi! 🙂

[–] Tja@programming.dev 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Flatpack? You are using Linux and you need "iso writers"? Is your dd broken, son?

[–] Xttweaponttx@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

😂 I also read this as Ron's voice!

Nah as much as i love doing stuff via terminal, I am extra paranoid specifically about writing to the wrong device and losing data; I prefer as many confirmations as possible that I'm writing to the correct drive, and graphical installers tend to give me just a few more reassurances. A few examples would be stuff like

a graphical representation of partitions (the general layout of a drive tends to offer an easy 'fingerprint' in my mind; like the pattern of partitions help me confirm I'm looking at, say, a Debian install USB compared to a single-partition general purpose storage disk)
icons for different types of devices, like an SD card, USB, or hard disk icon
confirmation dialogues summarizing what device is targeted, and what all will be performed

I'm also the kind of person who stares at a written email worrying about every last nuance of my phrasing, so 🤷‍♂️😂 definitely a me problem, I think!

[–] lornosaj@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

This sounded like a techy Ron Swanson.

[–] Tja@programming.dev 3 points 1 day ago

Are the scissors broken in your house, son?

At least one person got the reference!