this post was submitted on 17 May 2024
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Proton

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The link right here goes to 40:02 of Proton' boss on the TLE channel about Linux support, where a Drive Client is deemed so difficult to achieve that they don't even have a roadmap for it. Nor is the word "Linux" featured anywhere on proton's pages about Drive.

coughdropboxcough

If I believe what I see on Lemmy, 99% of users here are on Linux, and the 1% remaining probably are just waiting on a Drive Linux Client to make the switch, right? Right?

Please take the survey and maybe mention politely our deep sorrow and profound distress.

Thanks!

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

@reallyzen I did. I've been added to the list. One day we'll learn which list.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (2 children)

While I wish Linux support was something they prioritized, it doesn't take much to understand it's never gonna happen.

It takes a single look into the Proton VPN v4 client to understand Linux is a third class citizen at best.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (2 children)

That Boss guy says it there, Linux customership is negligible. I was happy to switch to an ethical ecosystem, but at the end of the day Proton is a company that runs for profit.

Nevermind that this specific Linux customership is exponentially sensitive to privacy and security next to the average windows user, our money still doesn't matter.

It's... annoying. Drive is relegated to weekly Dead Stupid Backups while Dropbox gives me real filesharing, VPN is highly unstable next to my former.. dare I mention it? Yes: next to NkrdVPN which was ultra reliable anywhere I went, and Mail is only used for the passmail obfuscation since I don't think I'll stay with proton and didn't switch my main mail to it.

I'd be curious to know if the userbase of proton products reflects that of general statistics of OS'es repartition.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

That Boss guy says it there, Linux customership is negligible.

Yeah, of course. I understand this. Developing for Linux is hard and probably not worth it financially.

It's also a chicken/egg problem, isn't it? If a Linux user is seeking a VPN software, why would they pick Proton over something with a better client? (eg: Mullvad). You can't get a good user base when your product is so inferior.

The Proton Drive problem is something I don't really understand. How hard would it be to develop a v1 product with rclone and then a v2 product that was actually nice?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

@reallyzen @pathief I'm a Proton paying customer and have Proton Drive access. I'm also an exclusive Linux user (some Android - an intrusive flavor of Linux).

I want Proton Drive on Linux. It ain't there yet. Limited resources limit services. Rather than dragging Proton down (chasing potential customers away) try bringing more customers in.

ProtonMail is free. ProtonVPN is free. Try before you decide whether or not to buy. Free use of VPN by way of openVPN ain't half bad.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I am a full Proton paying customer too. At the time of signup, a Drive Linux client was supposedly next in line... There's zero mention of it now. I need a VPN IRL and wasn't keen on relying on a free plan where I was used to pay for one anyway. Aaaand I planned to move my emails of course since it's in the bundle.

I'd gladly uplift people and advocate for progress on the privacy and security fronts, invite world+dog to join but I can't do it now in this situation. Linux users being underserved is how I feel.

Mandatory "I use Arch BTW" mention.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

@reallyzen Relunctantly, I have to agree, but we only know one side of this story. Companies tend not to reveal reasoning in any detail when defending themselves. Sometimes they even deliberately mislead. As a result, it's not likely anyone will *know* how truthful any response would be - all we can do is ask the question.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

@pathief @reallyzen "Catering" only to Ubuntu is a path, but is it a path that most Proton VPN paid subscribers take? I doubt that Proton has asked it's Proton VPN users - I know I've never been asked.

Many vendors offer a DEB solution and a RPM solution. Why do vendors prefer to arbitrarily drop DEB and RPM and switch exclusively to Canonical? Especially when many Linux users lump Canonical in with Microsoft? Is it possible that Proton VPN is unaware of this? I don't think so.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

The problem isn't just the packaging format, it's the quality of the application. It's missing a ton of functionalities that exist in the windows version. Wireguard isn't available, for instance. And have you seen the design? Why do other OS get a beautiful application and we have that?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

@pathief I don't think I would hold MS up as a baseline minimum standard to match.

Proton does improve their products; even in the Linux world. There is room for improvement. Which company has reached the mountaintop where there is no room for improvement? None of them.

The best users can do is keep asking. To fail to do that is an indicator that better Linux support doesn't matter. It does matter - very much.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Proton does improve their products, that's true. I'm very happy with the improvements they have been making with Proton Pass, for instance.

But they don't improve their linux products, at least not at a reasonable pace. How many years to we need to wait for WireGuard support? Or ipv6? :/

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

@pathief Ask Proton.

Is wireguard itself still beta? It's been a while since I considered it so I''m not up on it.

IP6 is freaky. Everyone is yelling for IP6 - few have done more than dip a toe into that pool. No one wants to support both IP4 and IP6 and many are waiting to be forced to shift from 4 to 6. Expect chaos when that day finally comes.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Proton supports Wireguard on Windows for several years now.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

@pathief It seems Wireguard has reached v1 https://www.wireguard.com/install/ Available on MacOs, BSD, various Linux distros, Androd, IOS, and Windows.

Ask Proton if they are working on Wirguard for Linux.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If you use the config file generator from the Proton website, you can have a Wiregard config tailor-made to load in NetworkManager for instance. Or several with or without NAT, different exits and so on.

I don't know how this isn't widely known, it's been there for a while.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

I know about this but it sucks for several reasons:

  • This doesn't use the proton vpn client

  • You need to setup configuration files for each country you wish to connect

  • You configure a server directly, you can't just connect to "France" and have the client choose the server with the least load

  • You can no longer select a random country, you have to introduce the randomness yourself

  • You have to manage configurations like kill switches on your own, since you're no longer using the proton client

It's certainly a viable option, but why must linux users have all these drawbacks? :|

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

I asked for proper independence from big tech full stop. None of this half assed out of date Android mail client, lack of Linux support across the board, Google push notifications, Google Play Store first nonsense up to this date.

They keep repeating "independence from big tech" and "privacy" while still being reliant on them. Ffs more companies need the balls to do what Valve did and go all in on Linux and MAKE IT work. The payoff is a win-win for us and Proton and a big fuck you to Microsoft and Google.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I will do as you ask

If yous manage even once to not invade a single thread about Windows with your smug, self-congratulary comments

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Reconcile these two axioms:

  1. Every Lemmy out there is using (arch) linux exclusively, both at home and at work

  2. Every post on c/linux is about ditching windows very soon and choosing the best linux distribution

That's a Nobel Prize in (creative) mathematics right here!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

Proton seems to have given up on Linux. The bridge keep breaking for me and I need to constantly restart it, the vpn client is still super slow and incredibly clunky. Wouldn't expect much from these requests tbh

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

I typed it in, on one of the question where we could for drive. I did my part!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

I did that just this morning, when I saw the email for the survey the proton drive for Linux was my first thought.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

I indeed did ask for drive client for Linux

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I have trouble believing it is that hard, when rclone already works with proton.

Using built-in rclone options, it works just fine. It's very slow... But it's the same rate as direct to browser.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

So slow and cumbersome. Sorry my benchmark is dropbox

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

How slow are we talking? Like latency between file add to file start uploading? Or just general time it takes to download/upload?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

Up/Down speed is my feeling, but "negotiations" between client and server too.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

I ended up asking them to accept Monero.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

So... Where's the link to the survey?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I got it in my proton mailbox.

https://form.typeform.com/to/L0UNpRar

The mail even says "Limited submissions. Respond now to ensure your voice is heard."

Go for it!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

hell yeah, LET'S GOOOOO.

P.S: add the link to the post description so people find it easily

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

Done, you're right

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Focus of my survey:

  1. I don't care about LLMs
  2. Focus on core products instead of making new stuff

I'll be interested to see the results on how everyone else reacted to all of the AI questions.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

I answered "I want safeguards in place towards the purpose and final use of LLM's output".

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

Just completed the survey and asked for it.

I also asked for a search alternative, like what Kagi offers. Would be a great addition to their services imo, but I doubt they could pull it off given how slow their development usually is.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (2 children)

I would be happy to, i also want to remind them to provide a themed android app icon for their mail. VPN has it, mail doesn't, and it drives me crazy.

You might want to provide a link to the survey right here though, I rooted through the video description and comments but no survey in sight.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I got it in my proton mailbox

https://form.typeform.com/to/L0UNpRar

The mail says "Limited submissions. Respond now to ensure your voice is heard."

Go for it!

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Interesting, i didn't get one myself. Perhaps because I am a somewhat new customer?

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Already did, and it works, thank you though :)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

The new Proton Mail Beta nave the themed icons

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

Here is an alternative Piped link(s):

https://piped.video/watch?v=Dp7ght2fMR4&t=2408

Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.

I'm open-source; check me out at GitHub.