this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2025

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Privacy

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Tails no longer recommending balenaEtcher (tails.net)

submitted 4 days ago by xela@lemmy.ml to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

185 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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[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 16 points 3 days ago (9 children)

what is a good one to use, is there something like rufus on linux

[–] EngineerGaming 9 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I just use Gnome Disks for convenience over dd.

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[–] mcx808@feddit.uk 10 points 3 days ago

Not used it since I discovered this nonsense. Shows how seriously they take security. https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/issues/3410

[–] N0x0n@lemmy.ml 22 points 4 days ago

I tried belenaEtcher once on my Mac... And it seemed to me more like a spyware than an actual software, I was a bit confused and never used it again.

[–] Majestic@lemmy.ml 15 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yet another reason for people to run a default prompt (deny until prompt answer) firewall.

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 days ago (2 children)

A what?

[–] ookiiBoy@lemmy.blahaj.zone 12 points 3 days ago

Good question. I will attempt to clarify:

OP is saying that individual should run firewalls on their machines, that block port activity by default, and only allow traffic upon an approved request by the administrator account.

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[–] filister@lemmy.world 21 points 4 days ago (15 children)

Happy user of Ventoy here

[–] davel@lemmy.ml 15 points 4 days ago

Last I heard it was also suspect: Ventoy source code contains some unknown BLOBs, still no word on the issue from the dev after months

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[–] kepix@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

have they tried also tracking for errors, cause it fucks up every second image unlike rufus

[–] geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml 9 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Truth. Etcher is garbage. Rufus is king.

[–] Xanza@lemm.ee 11 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Generally Ventoy is better than both. Choose a dedicated flash storage, flash Ventoy to it, then click and drag as many ISO's as can fit on your drive and you can boot from any one of them at any time.

Much better than Etcher or Rufus, IMO.

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