mullvad web browser

[darksun]

Hi all.

Just wanted to share with you all that the new version of Mullvad (web) browser is out and now it supports Ubuntu/Debian repository system.

Here you can find the info about the software and as well as how to install it.

https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser/linux

Tor/Mullvad browser launching script will deny you to run them as root user.

You can easily avoid this safety block and as well as running it safer by adding "run-as-spot" before launching it.

From terminal, or setting it up as default web browser within your OS settings:

Code: Select all

run-as-spot mullvad-browser

[pp4mnklinux]

Post writen 26th May 2023

https://pp4mnklinux.wordpress.com/

Do you think it could be useful nowadays?

[darksun]

Post writen 26th May 2023

https://pp4mnklinux.wordpress.com/

Do you think it could be useful nowadays?

that article about mullvad browser you linked contains rubbish information and consideration, to say the least

[redquine]

that article about mullvad browser you linked contains rubbish information and consideration, to say the least

@darksun, he was just saying what his impressions were. Can you tell us how you've found it, please? Especially if you've managed to get it working with another VPN or with Firefox extensions.

Also, what have you found it useful for? That might help us to decide if it's worth trying.

[pp4mnklinux]

that article about mullvad browser you linked contains rubbish information and consideration, to say the least

@darksun, he was just saying what his impressions were. Can you tell us how you've found it, please? Especially if you've managed to get it working with another VPN or with Firefox extensions.

Also, what have you found it useful for? That might help us to decide if it's worth trying.

clap, clap, clap @redquine ... that's the idea.

.- We can deduce a lot of things from "@darksun's" answer

https://mullvad.net/en/pricing

https://mullvad.net/en/help/faq

@darksun I wanna ask u only one question, YES/NO QUESTION;

Is it FREE ?

[jamesbond]

@darksun I wanna ask u only one question, YES/NO QUESTION;
Is it FREE ?

xscreenshot-20240701T003244.png (87.95 KiB) Viewed 1797 times

[darksun]

@pp4mnklinux 's page contains a plethora of wrong information and opinions.

If both of you @redquine and @pp4mnklinux would simply search online it would take just few minutes to get the info you need.

Have you at least read the small web page I linked in my first post?

https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser/linux

The Mullvad Browser is developed – in collaboration between Mullvad VPN and the Tor Project – to minimize tracking and fingerprinting

The Tor Project has a proven track record of building a privacy-focused browser. The Mullvad Browser has the same fingerprinting protection as the Tor Browser – it just connects to the internet with (or without) a VPN instead of the Tor Network.

and so on.

By the way

• no, you do not need any (paid) VPN subscription (not even Mullvad VPN itself) to use and benefit from Mullvad web browser. Despite of a VPN used in combination would increase the fingerprinting protection offered by the project you are free to use it without any

• you can even uninstall the embedded Mullvad add-on (that is shipped with the software) without impairing its functionality and its fingerprinting protection.

• you do not need and you DO NOT WANT to install any further add-on or change any of the browser settings (apart from the security level options safe safer safest) if you want to keep its fingerprinting protection and maintain its purpose

• Mullvad web browser is basically a modified version of Firefox-ESR stripped out from the bloat and telemetry and useless features and with all the settings and options for privacy and security turned on by default PLUS ublock origin and noscript add-ons installed and set up in a certain way to keep the web browser's purpose.

• you just need to install and use it as it is to get the best out of it

• it is basically like the TOR browser bundle without TOR and its limitations (and features)

A simple google or YouTube search with a plain "mullvad browser" will give you all the info you need in only few minutes of reading or video.

For me is similar and much far superior to the LibreWolf project. And it is backed up by two renewed and trustworthy subjects such as the TOR project and Mullvad company.

Further useful links would also be:

https://privacytests.org/

https://coveryourtracks.eff.org/

[redquine]

@pp4mnklinux 's page contains a plethora of wrong information and opinions.

If both of you @redquine and @pp4mnklinux would simply search online it would take just few minutes to get the info you need.

Have you at least read the small web page I linked in my first post?

@darksun, yes, I did read that and I'm good at looking up general information when I need to.

I wanted to know how you personally got on with it and if you could solve some of the problems @pp4mnklinux mentioned. Thanks for telling us more about your experience and acknowledging what he found. I can understand why you don't regard them as problems.

Some people use extensions for purposes other than security, or might want to use a VPN because (for example) the information they're looking for is blocked in their country. So Mullvad might not suit everyone for everything.

I can certainly think of times when I might find it handy, such as entering sensitive information on forms and browsing websites that won't let me in unless I accept "necessary" cookies, I'll give it a try at some point and pop back to this thread if I have anything relevant to add! Thanks for the heads-up.

[darksun]

I believe you have the wrong approach.

You need to get informed about the piece of software, its scope, its functionality, limitations and so on.
You then need to try and use it and see if it suits you and your needs.

My personal opinion about Mullvad web browser has limited value; yet the fact that I took the time and willingness to create and participate in this thread is an hint my personal opinion is rather positive.

Your opinions and questions would be better answered, as a start, by you yourself getting informed and using the software and NOT by a random stranger on a forum stating "it is a great piece of software you must use it blindly".

By the way, to answer your main question: despite of I have not tried, you can use and install other VPNs and use them in combination with Mullvad web browser without particularly impairing its fingerprinting and privacy protections, provided that you stick with what the software developer recommends which is to use Mullvad web browser "as it is" without changing ANYTHING after its installation, apart from the security level safe-safer-safest.

You can install other add-ons if you wish but it is not recommended because it can impair its fingerprinting protection feature.

You can change the browser settings, ublock origin settings and lists, noscript settings and so on, if you wish but it is not
recommended because it can impair its fingerprinting protection feature.

You can use almost any VPNs without the need to install its web browser add-on in order to manage it but can rely on the software client side, either its official client or by downloading and using wireguard/openvpn with the configuration given by the VPN provider; with the majority of VPN providers there is no need (it is not mandatory) to install the web browser add-on in order to surf the internet behind that VPN.

All this info can be found online, first place to look at is the how-to sections of the websites related to the VPN provider.

I believe and hope there should not be anything left to discuss if you <read this post from the top>.

[rockedge]

I have now tested the Mullvad browser and I personally don't like it much. It has unpredictable results with various settings combinations. Difficult to actually make it work as designed.

I deem it useless and just another browser variant doing something another already does and better.

always suspicious of these private VPN's run by the people behind the browser designed to use it.

[mikewalsh]

I'll re-state again what I always say about such "projects".

Any time you try to conceal your identity & remain anonymous online, all you do is to put up a huge red flag saying - in effect - "Here I am! I'm trying to HIDE!" The more you try to hide, the more you draw attention to yourself.

It's as simple as that. You're honestly better off by "hiding in plain sight"...i.e., you're right there, in front of somebody, but they don't notice YOU because they're too busy looking everywhere else.

That's the art of "misdirection" at work. FAR more effective. And it's WHY I never bother with all this "VPN" crap.

I've been online for nearly 30 years. I always use the same 'web-persona'. I've been kicking around, underfoot, for SO long that people just don't "see" me any longer.......and you want to know why? Because I'm like part of the furniture.....and folks take the furniture for granted, and pay no attention to it.

Well, it seems to work for me. Especially this last decade with Puppy; I can count the amount of online "issues" I've had on the fingers of one hand.....and even then, I don't need to use any fingers. Not one. Because the sum total of my online hassle amounts to a big, fat 0.

Mike.

[darksun]

I believe topics such as user profiling, user tracking, user fingerprinting, user data collection, privacy, security and VPN's use cases are complex topics and they lie outside the scope of this thread: sharing with you all the availability of the new version of this hardened Mozilla Firefox ESR based web browser, jointly produced by the TOR project and Mullvad, which now supports Ubuntu/Debian repository system and can be more easily installed within our puppy linux distros.

[darksun]

I'll re-state again what I always say about such "projects".

Any time you try to conceal your identity & remain anonymous online, all you do is to put up a huge red flag saying - in effect - "Here I am! I'm trying to HIDE!" The more you try to hide, the more you draw attention to yourself.

It's as simple as that. You're honestly better off by "hiding in plain sight"...i.e., you're right there, in front of somebody, but they don't notice YOU because they're too busy looking everywhere else.

That's the art of "misdirection" at work. FAR more effective. And it's WHY I never bother with all this "VPN" crap.

I've been online for nearly 30 years. I always use the same 'web-persona'. I've been kicking around, underfoot, for SO long that people just don't "see" me any longer.......and you want to know why? Because I'm like part of the furniture.....and folks take the furniture for granted, and pay no attention to it.

Well, it seems to work for me. Especially this last decade with Puppy; I can count the amount of online "issues" I've had on the fingers of one hand.....and even then, I don't need to use any fingers. Not one. Because the sum total of my online hassle amounts to a big, fat 0.

Mike.

Can you show me a report of how many data points or information data brokers have on you?
Have you, at any point in your long career of internet user, been reported by one of these entities, data collectors or data brokers alike: "hello @mikewalsh we are collecting/selling your data, just to let you know... just to give you an heads-up. here what we are collecting and selling about you" ?

Having been reported or noticed a big fat 0 issues while being a web user does not mean there are none.

You apparently live in a country, UK, where data capitalism and internet surveillance is one of the more invasive in the world; my honest opinion is, if I were you, I would not be as much self confident as you are about the behavior you are adopting.

Despite I do not wish this topic to depart too far from its original purpose, I could not avoid commenting on your post

PS the use of a VPN has come out and put into this conversation by some of you, not by me; I wish not to comment on how, if at all or how much little, I use a VPN.
Mullvad is a VPN provider that also offer a web browser , the purpose of this topic is not to discuss Mullvad VPN or any VPN at all for the matter.

I am not sponsoring the use of Mullvad VPN or any VPN at all for the matter. This is not the scope of my thread.

My sources: several years of following several information sources about privacy and security.

[darksun]

I'll re-state again what I always say about such "projects".

Any time you try to conceal your identity & remain anonymous online, all you do is to put up a huge red flag saying - in effect - "Here I am! I'm trying to HIDE!" The more you try to hide, the more you draw attention to yourself.

It's as simple as that. You're honestly better off by "hiding in plain sight"...i.e., you're right there, in front of somebody, but they don't notice YOU because they're too busy looking everywhere else.

the purpose of Mullvad web browser, which is inherited by the TOR project, is in fact to hide in plain sight: provided that you follow the software developer's suggestion of not changing/installing anything (apart from the security level), if you use the software as it is, with all its defaults, everyone using TOR/Mullvad browser will have the same fingerprint: same user agents, same screen resolution (feature called letterboxing) , same installed add-ons and plugins, same ublock origin's filters, and so on PLUS all the hardening settings (do you know projects as arkenfox?) installed and applied by default by the software provider TOR/Mullvad.

You @mikewalsh have not realized that what you are striving to achieve is the same mission of TOR/Mullvad browser. At this point I also need to ask you if you have read the small web page I linked in my first post.

from https://mullvad.net/en/download/browser/linux

Similar fingerprint for all users

Fingerprinting is an increasing threat against online privacy. The Mullvad Browser is, just like the Tor Browser, developed with the purpose and ambition for all its users to appear as one.

[rockedge]

@darksun one of my nephews works for the NSA in some surveillance capacity and another nephew is an officer in US Army Intelligence. My son is a computer engineer and works for a major corporation in their cyber security. My nieces are about to graduate Ivy League schools (paid for by the US tax payer as ROTC troops) and most likely will be going into US Army Intelligence then CIA.

I can tell you 100% that everything is already tracked. I know I've been.....being once in the military and now having health insurance. Also have several letters informing me that my information has been lifted in 3 or 4 major hack attacks in the last 3 years.

Got arrested for sleeping on a beach once.....took fingerprints when I was 18....... Motor vehicle department......

[darksun]

@darksun one of my nephews works for the NSA in some surveillance capacity and another nephew is an officer in US Army Intelligence. My son is a computer engineer and works for a major corporation in their cyber security. My nieces are about to graduate Ivy League schools (paid for by the US tax payer as ROTC troops) and most likely will be going into US Army Intelligence then CIA.

I can tell you 100% that everything is already tracked. I know I've been.....being once in the military and now having health insurance. Also have several letters informing me that my information has been lifted in 3 or 4 major hack attacks in the last 3 years.

Got arrested for sleeping on a beach once.....took fingerprints when I was 18....... Motor vehicle department......

Being a mortal living being and knowing I will die one day does not mean I cross the street with eyes closed, neither considering having an healthy diet useless; I guess you close and lock your house or car before leaving instead of saying "if a thief wants to rob me they will do it anyway so lets do not bother about safety".

What I mean is common sense. What I mean is that we do what we can do, we act on what we have power on.

[greengeek]

Hi all.

Just wanted to share with you all that the new version of Mullvad (web) browser is out and now it supports Ubuntu/Debian repository system.

Thanks for the heads up. Do you have any idea if it requires pulseaudio? (I am assuming it does )

Anyone tried it yet with apulse and run-as-spot combo??

[darksun]

Hi all.

Just wanted to share with you all that the new version of Mullvad (web) browser is out and now it supports Ubuntu/Debian repository system.

Thanks for the heads up. Do you have any idea if it requires pulseaudio? (I am assuming it does )

Anyone tried it yet with apulse and run-as-spot combo??

I am running the latest vanilla dpup 10.x and it works without any issue with pipewire, both running it as root and as spot.
I have used Mullvad web browser with distros that use pulseaudio also without any issue.
I have no need nor experience of running it "with apulse and run-as-spot combo".

[Governor]

@darksun one of my nephews works for the NSA in some surveillance capacity and another nephew is an officer in US Army Intelligence. My son is a computer engineer and works for a major corporation in their cyber security. My nieces are about to graduate Ivy League schools (paid for by the US tax payer as ROTC troops) and most likely will be going into US Army Intelligence then CIA.

I can tell you 100% that everything is already tracked. I know I've been.....being once in the military and now having health insurance. Also have several letters informing me that my information has been lifted in 3 or 4 major hack attacks in the last 3 years.

Got arrested for sleeping on a beach once.....took fingerprints when I was 18....... Motor vehicle department......

Being a mortal living being and knowing I will die one day does not mean I cross the street with eyes closed, neither considering having an healthy diet useless; I guess you close and lock your house or car before leaving instead of saying "if a thief wants to rob me they will do it anyway so lets do not bother about safety".

What I mean is common sense. What I mean is that we do what we can do, we act on what we have power on.

I agree. We mustn't just throw our hands up in the air and give up. That is like living in a high crime neighborhood, and you don't bother to put a lock on your door, because chances are someone will break in anyway.

[mikeslr]

Governor, "That is like living in a high crime neighborhood, and you don't bother to put a lock on your door, because chances are someone will break in anyway."

Used to have to park in Newark. Car was frequently broken into. So I got to leaving the doors unlocked, the glove compartment empty and a big sign on the window: "I live around here; there's nothing in the glove box."

So someone just opened the door, released the hood latch and stole the battery.

Governor, "Don't take life too seriously, you will never get out alive."

[Governor]

Governor, "That is like living in a high crime neighborhood, and you don't bother to put a lock on your door, because chances are someone will break in anyway."

Used to have to park in Newark. Car was frequently broken into. So I got to leaving the doors unlocked, the glove compartment empty and a big sign on the window: "I live around here; there's nothing in the glove box."

So someone just opened the door, released the hood latch and stole the battery.

Governor, "Don't take life too seriously, you will never get out alive."

I saw a video where thieves followed someone into a parking lot. When the driver of the first car went inside, they quickly shattered the driver's side window, opened the trunk, stole a big suitcase and took off. Perhaps they followed the car from the airport.

I had to take a bus once from Mountainside to Newark. We came to a stop and everyone got off. Little did I know, that they were walking to the train station from there because (unbeknownst to me) the last stop closest to the train station was too dangerous. So I continued on to the last stop, and when we got there, I knew right away why everyone else disembarked on the previous stop. I begged the driver to take me to the bus station where he would end his route, but he refused. It was dark. That was scary.

I was driving a taxi and got a fare to Newark. It was a black man, and he naturally wanted me to go the shortest route because it was cheaper. It was nighttime on a hot summer night. He told me: Keep your doors locked, keep your windows rolled up, and don't stop the car, not even for red lights.
The natives were out all over the sidewalk, spilling over into the street. You see, if you stop your car, the crowd may swarm in front of your car so you can't drive, rob you, beat you, and trash your car. The last thing the man said to me was: Don't drive the same way back, take the long way home; a white man alone in a car probably would not make it. That was very scary.

[darksun]

like many other life situations where we face a decision to opt for something instead of something else (multiple choices), a reasonable reflection should be based on several things such as:

- our values;
- awareness and understanding of the risks and benefits of the presented options;
- awareness and understanding of the upsides and downsides of the presented options;
- avoiding prejudgements;
- avoid preconceptions;
- be open minded;
- get info about the topic;
- be focused on the topic;
- and so on.

I have the sensation that some users lack some of the above. I may be wrong of course.

[dogcat]

The Mullvad Browser hard facts: list of settings and modifications.

https://mullvad.net/en/browser/hard-facts

--

[greengeek]

I have made a mullvad browser pet here for my own use on a cutdown Fossa64 (9.5).
I have not tested it elsewhere so please use caution if you try it.