Arch Linux

xv

Member

Registered: 2026-06-19

Posts: 2

Tracking/data collection inside packages

Hi,

noticed a package had analytics on by default and can only be turned off in advanced settings (or via env) in an GUI music player for subsonic and other music backends.
Advanced settings are reachable after first login that already loads the tracker.

I searched in wiki and forum for anything about guidelines for (extra) packages.

Package
https://archlinux.org/packages/extra/any/feishin/

https://github.com/jeffvli/feishin/blob … ml#L13-L22
- Domain is private  (can easily change to anything)
- Loads remote script into electron and runs it
- Currently down (Bad Gateway Cloudflare)

I can build it without the tracker, would prefer if packages avoid/disable trackers (opt-in is OK).

My question
Should the package build add a patch or is loading remote script and running in clients fine without consent OK?

xv

(I hope the category in forum is correct, section at least is fitting)

loqs

Member

Registered: 2014-03-06

Posts: 18,970

Re: Tracking/data collection inside packages

Should the package build add a patch or is loading remote script and running in clients fine without consent OK?

I believe it is left to the package maintainers discretion as Arch has no governing policy.

Lone_Wolf

Administrator

From: Netherlands, Europe

Registered: 2005-10-04

Posts: 15,218

Re: Tracking/data collection inside packages

The Simplicity principle on archlinux may also play a part here.

Does upstream feel the necessity to enable tracking/collect data by default ?
If the answer is yes, you should ask upstream to change that (or look for an alternative).

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Disliking systemd intensely, but not satisfied with alternatives so focusing on taming systemd.

clean chroot building not flexible enough ?
Try clean chroot manager by graysky

xv

Member

Registered: 2026-06-19

Posts: 2

Re: Tracking/data collection inside packages

The Simplicity principle on archlinux may also play a part here.

Does upstream feel the necessity to enable tracking/collect data by default ?
If the answer is yes, you should ask upstream to change that (or look for an alternative).

THX for clarifying.
With all stuff going on, loading and running 3rd party code dynamically without any kind of protection is not in my interest. Script tag has also no integrity argument for JS.
Looked at the repo and the dev stated, it is opt out only (conflicting with EU law → IP personal data + no t needed to provide the service + no privacy policy about data processing).

I will just patch my the PKGBUILD and maybe test some other clients.

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 76,836

Re: Tracking/data collection inside packages

https://gitlab.archlinux.org/archlinux/ … type=heads is distro-provided
You can reasonably ask to change it to also disable all tracking code (depends on whether this can be in any users interest itfp)

/mpd ftw!

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