Comments on: StarDict Plugins in Debian 13 Raise Privacy Concerns https://linuxiac.com/stardict-plugins-in-debian-13-raise-privacy-concerns/ All things Linux & Open Source Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:35:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.2 By: ccts https://linuxiac.com/stardict-plugins-in-debian-13-raise-privacy-concerns/#comment-75923 Mon, 11 Aug 2025 08:35:24 +0000 https://linuxiac.com/?p=181262#comment-75923 By the way, not only Debian is concerned, any distribution packaging this software (making it available, I guess none install stardict by default) is concerned, that is, arch linux, fedora, and probably others.
Upstream is also be concerned.

As for Debian, we can only deplore miscommunication bringing underestimation of the issue for the few persons who had an hand on it.

It also brings a renewed attention on how clipboard applications do their things.
Review of every possible and obscure application is not something we should take for granted.

]]> By: Sum Yung Gai https://linuxiac.com/stardict-plugins-in-debian-13-raise-privacy-concerns/#comment-75436 Thu, 07 Aug 2025 14:58:21 +0000 https://linuxiac.com/?p=181262#comment-75436 Thank you to both Mr. Vincent Lefevre for calling it out, and to Linuxiac for reporting on it. This is indeed unacceptable behaviour, especially from an organization like Debian. If this is a “feature”, then so was the “NSAKEY” in Microsoft Windows, or the various backdoors and snooping tools in RSA, Check Point, Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, Apple, etc. software. It would even appear to be against the Debian Social Contract, specifically item #4, “Our priorities are *our users* and free software” (emphasis mine).

Thank goodness that at least being F/OSS, this behaviour in StarDict’s configuration can be caught and called out. This, everyone, is a textbook example of why Free Software is the way to go, for those who really are looking for freedom.

]]> By: Den https://linuxiac.com/stardict-plugins-in-debian-13-raise-privacy-concerns/#comment-75350 Wed, 06 Aug 2025 16:18:40 +0000 https://linuxiac.com/?p=181262#comment-75350 Stardict is not default in any build. It’s available for users to install. Only then it arrives with dafeechurs enabled by default.

]]> By: Vincent Lefevre https://linuxiac.com/stardict-plugins-in-debian-13-raise-privacy-concerns/#comment-75335 Wed, 06 Aug 2025 12:26:28 +0000 https://linuxiac.com/?p=181262#comment-75335 @Benno: According to the changelog, this has been fixed only for dict.cn, not for YouDao.

]]> By: Benno https://linuxiac.com/stardict-plugins-in-debian-13-raise-privacy-concerns/#comment-75320 Wed, 06 Aug 2025 11:25:58 +0000 https://linuxiac.com/?p=181262#comment-75320 The bug has been first reported 10 years ago and has been fixed today.
debian bug #806960

]]> By: eeyore https://linuxiac.com/stardict-plugins-in-debian-13-raise-privacy-concerns/#comment-75274 Tue, 05 Aug 2025 23:36:10 +0000 https://linuxiac.com/?p=181262#comment-75274 It is an annoying trait of the debian builds.. debian does seem more international than most though e.g. I’ve seen a lot of databases of foreign languages for all of the apps in the weekly-live-builds of debian (for LibreOffice, Firefox, etc. ), things I really don’t want by default and I have to filter out of the updates (i.e. purge). I just want one language by default. If I need something else then *I’d* like to do the downloading. Oddly enough though, StarDict wasn’t in the LXQt build or updates (so far). I don’t know if I’m lucky or what? I see the app in synaptic but, it’s not installed. I don’t want it of course. But, what is going on? I have a hard time believing debian decided this was a good thing to include by default @@

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