Manjaro Linux Introduces Opt-Out Telemetry With Manjaro Data Donor

Manjaro Linux introduces Manjaro Data Donor (MDD), a new telemetry tool designed to improve user count accuracy and provide insights into Manjaro's user base. This replaces a previous system that relied on pings to ping.manjaro.org, a method criticized for inaccuracy, privacy concerns, and unsuitable tooling.

Why the Change?

The old ping-based system suffered from several drawbacks:

• Inaccurate Counts: NAT networks skewed results, and IP-based identification limited long-term accuracy.
• Privacy Concerns: While Matomo (the analytics software) claimed IP masking, this reliance raised privacy issues.
• Poor Tooling: Matomo, designed for website analytics, proved inefficient and cumbersome for system telemetry.

MDD aims to resolve these issues through a more transparent and efficient approach.

What Data is Collected?

MDD uses the inxi tool to gather system information. A sample data set reveals the following:

• Metadata: Version, timestamp, unique device ID, distribution details.
• System Details: Kernel, form factor, installation date, hardware specifications (CPU, RAM, storage).
• Graphics Information: Compositor, GPU details, display resolution.
• Software Details: Package information (installed packages, updates), desktop environment.
• Locale Settings: Region, language, timezone.

A user-shared example from the Manjaro forum illustrates the collected data:

<code>{
    "meta": { ... },
    "system": { ... },
    "boot": { ... },
    "cpu": { ... },
    "memory": { ... },
    "graphics": { ... },
    "audio": { ... },
    "disk": { ... },
    "locale": { ... },
    "package": { ... },
    "desktop": { ... }
}</code>

How to Participate (and Opt Out):

MDD is installable via the Manjaro repositories:

sudo pacman -S mdd

A dry run previews the data:

mdd --dry-run

Data submission is done with:

mdd

Debugging logs are available with:

mdd --log DEBUG

Importantly, MDD is currently opt-out. While initially manual, future plans involve automatic data submission via a systemd service, requiring users to actively disable it to opt out.

Transparency and User Control:

MDD's source code is publicly available on GitHub, and data visualizations are publicly accessible. This transparency aims to address privacy concerns.

Addressing Concerns:

Initial feedback highlighted concerns about refresh rate data accuracy on Wayland systems. The developer, Roman Gilg, is actively investigating solutions using xrandr and wayland-info.

Conclusion:

Manjaro Data Donor represents a significant improvement in Manjaro's telemetry approach. The emphasis on transparency, open source code, and the opt-out model aim to balance data collection with user privacy and control. Ongoing community feedback will shape the future development of MDD.

Resources:

• Manjaro Data Donor GitHub Repository
• Manjaro Data Donor Announcement

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