How to Turn Off Location Service?  [Solved]

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Author
nullpointer
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Jul 28, 2024 1:40 pm

How to Turn Off Location Service?

#1 Post by nullpointer »

Hi,
I went on a site, and it asked me for my location, and curiously, I allowed and BOOM! It revealed my location. :mad:
Why is Location turned on by Default in MX Linux?

How to turn off Location Services from MX Linux? :confused:


Here are my System Info:

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System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-23-amd64 [6.1.99-1] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-23-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash
  Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 tk: Gtk v: 3.24.36 info: xfce4-panel wm: xfwm v: 4.18.0 vt: 7
    dm: LightDM v: 1.26.0 Distro: MX-23.3_x64 Libretto May 19  2024 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12
    (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: ASUSTeK product: ASUS TUF Gaming F15 FX506LI_FX506LI v: 1.0
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: ASUSTeK model: FX506LI v: 1.0 serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends
    v: FX506LI.310 date: 11/26/2021
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 34.0 Wh (100.0%) condition: 34.0/48.1 Wh (70.6%) volts: 12.4 min: 11.7
    model: ASUS A32-K55 type: Li-ion serial: N/A status: full
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i5-10300H bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Comet Lake gen: core 10 level: v3
    note: check built: 2020 process: Intel 14nm family: 6 model-id: 0xA5 (165) stepping: 2
    microcode: 0xFA
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 8 MiB desc: 1x8 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/4500 scaling: driver: intel_pstate governor: powersave
    cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800 8: 800 bogomips: 39999
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling mitigation: Microcode
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed mitigation: Enhanced IBRS
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Enhanced / Automatic IBRS; IBPB: conditional; RSB filling;
    PBRSB-eIBRS: SW sequence; BHI: SW loop, KVM: SW loop
  Type: srbds mitigation: Microcode
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CometLake-H GT2 [UHD Graphics] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: i915 v: kernel
    arch: Gen-9.5 process: Intel 14nm built: 2016-20 ports: active: eDP-1 empty: none bus-ID: 00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:9bc4 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA TU117M [GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Mobile] vendor: ASUSTeK driver: nvidia
    v: 535.183.01 non-free: 530.xx+ status: current (as of 2023-03) arch: Turing code: TUxxx
    process: TSMC 12nm FF built: 2018-22 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 3
    speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:1f95 class-ID: 0300
  Device-3: IMC Networks USB2.0 HD UVC WebCam type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-7:3
    chip-ID: 13d3:56a2 class-ID: 0e02 serial: <filter>
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 compositor: xfwm v: 4.18.0 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa alternate: nv dri: iris gpu: i915
    display-ID: :0.0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1920x1080 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 508x285mm (20.00x11.22") s-diag: 582mm (22.93")
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 model: ChiMei InnoLux 0x1521 built: 2020 res: 1920x1080 hz: 144 dpi: 142
    gamma: 1.2 size: 344x193mm (13.54x7.6") diag: 394mm (15.5") ratio: 16:9 modes: 1920x1080
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics (CML GT2) direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Comet Lake PCH cAVS vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel
    alternate: snd_sof_pci_intel_cnl bus-ID: 00:1f.3 chip-ID: 8086:06c8 class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA vendor: ASUSTeK driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s
    lanes: 16 link-max: gen: 3 speed: 8 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:10fa class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-23-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Comet Lake PCH CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi v: kernel modules: wl bus-ID: 00:14.3
    chip-ID: 8086:06f0 class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: ASUSTeK driver: r8169
    v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: 3000 bus-ID: 03:00.0 chip-ID: 10ec:8168
    class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel AX201 Bluetooth type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 1-14:5 chip-ID: 8087:0026
    class-ID: e001
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 2 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 3.0 lmp-v: 5.2
    sub-v: 200f hci-v: 5.2 rev: 200f
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:4 sco-mtu: 96:6 link-policy: rswitch sniff link-mode: peripheral accept
    service-classes: rendering, capturing, audio, telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 1.14 TiB used: 725.13 GiB (62.0%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 maj-min: 259:0 vendor: HP model: SSD EX900 Pro 256GB size: 238.47 GiB
    block-size: physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 31.6 Gb/s lanes: 4 type: SSD serial: <filter>
    rev: 52A8T27D temp: 36.9 C scheme: GPT
  ID-2: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Seagate model: ST1000LM035-1RK172 size: 931.51 GiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter>
    rev: 0001 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 137.11 GiB size: 133.9 GiB (97.66%) used: 79.88 GiB (59.7%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p6 maj-min: 259:6
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 512 MiB size: 511 MiB (99.80%) used: 292 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p5 maj-min: 259:5
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 4 GiB used: 29.2 MiB (0.7%) priority: -2 file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 48.0 C pch: 62.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2396 libs: 1203 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://mirrors.rit.edu/mxlinux/mx-packages/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/protonvpn-stable.list
    1: deb [arch="all", signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/protonvpn-stable-archive-keyring.gpg] https://repo.protonvpn.com/debian stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vscode.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64] https://packages.microsoft.com/repos/vscode stable main
Info:
  Processes: 277 Uptime: 27m wakeups: 2 Memory: 7.59 GiB used: 2.28 GiB (30.0%) Init: SysVinit
  v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 11/12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

User avatar
dolphin_oracle
Developer
Posts: 22249
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2007 12:17 pm

Re: How to Turn Off Location Service?

#2 Post by dolphin_oracle »

The website did it. And you allowed it. Mx has nothing to disable.


Probably figured your location from ip address mapping or similar.
http://www.youtube.com/runwiththedolphin
lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 4 - MX-23
FYI: mx "test" repo is not the same thing as debian testing repo.

User avatar
j2mcgreg
Global Moderator
Posts: 6803
Joined: Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:04 pm

Re: How to Turn Off Location Service?

#3 Post by j2mcgreg »

@nullpointer wrote:
I went on a site, and it asked me for my location, and curiously, I allowed
For privacy reasons, never, ever, do that, However, there are times when I have to establish my general location and in those instances, I always give the address of the downtown YMCA in Toronto.
HP 15; ryzen 3 5300U APU; 500 Gb SSD; 8GB ram
HP 17; ryzen 3 3200; 500 GB SSD; 12 GB ram
Idea Center 3; 12 gen i5; 256 GB ssd;

In Linux, newer isn't always better. The best solution is the one that works.

User avatar
fehlix
Developer
Posts: 12702
Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 5:09 pm

Re: How to Turn Off Location Service?  [Solved]

#4 Post by fehlix »

nullpointer wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2024 6:07 am Hi,
I went on a site, and it asked me for my location, and curiously, I allowed and BOOM! It revealed my location. :mad:
Why is Location turned on by Default in MX Linux?

How to turn off Location Services from MX Linux? :confused:
It's not a service you are running. Well, at least not directly.
You can disable any "geoip" related service, by disabling NetWork manager,
so you won't get any internet access, b/c your IP address is what is used to get your location.
Apps, like browser or other apps take your IP address you send out, and query a public geoip-service.
e.g in firefox the address may look like

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https://www.googleapis.com/geolocation/v1/geolocate?key=%GOOGLE_LOCATION_SERVICE_API_KEY%
other browser use different geoip-lookup urls like this

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https://pro.ip-api.com/json/?fields=lat,lon,status,message&key=%KEY%
You can see within a test, what info the app get back from the service:

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https://members.ip-api.com/#YOUR-IP-HERE
So to disable geoip within a browser, look for "geo" or "geoip" within the
browser settings (e.g in firefox open type into addressbar "about:config")
and disable or change the geoip-lookup url,
in case your browser will allow to change this settings.
HTH

User avatar
Tovian
Posts: 122
Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2011 8:30 pm

Re: How to Turn Off Location Service?

#5 Post by Tovian »

j2mcgreg wrote: Tue Aug 06, 2024 7:00 am @nullpointer wrote:
I always give the address of the downtown YMCA...

I always give the address of a guy I worked with but never liked. :p

:loungingaround:
“I think that this situation absolutely requires a really futile and stupid gesture be done on somebody's part"
"We're just the guys to do it”

Animal House

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