Ungoogled Chromium
by Ungoogled Software
Chromium without Google
About
Ungoogled Chromium is Google Chromium, sans dependency on Google web services. It also features some tweaks to enhance privacy, control, and transparency (almost all of which require manual activation or enabling).
Ungoogled Chromium retains the default Chromium experience as closely as possible. Unlike other Chromium forks that have their own visions of a web browser, Ungoogled Chromium is essentially a drop-in replacement for Chromium.
Without signing in to a Google Account, Chromium does pretty well in terms of security and privacy. However, Chromium still has some dependency on Google web services and binaries. In addition, Google designed Chromium to be easy and intuitive for users, which means they compromise on transparency and control of inner operations.
Ungoogled Chromium addresses these issues in the following ways:
- Remove all remaining background requests to any web services while building and running the browser - Remove all code specific to Google web services - Remove all uses of pre-made binaries from the source code, and replace them with user-provided alternatives when possible - Disable features that inhibit control and transparency, and add or modify features that promote them (these changes will almost always require manual activation or enabling)
These features are implemented as configuration flags, patches, and custom scripts.
Permissions
7 permissions weaken the sandbox. Flatsonar asks before installing.
- all devices (/dev): webcams, disks, raw hardware
--device=all - smart card readers
--socket=pcsc - X11 display: X11 lets apps read input and windows of other apps
--socket=x11 - your keyring / saved passwords
--talk-name=org.freedesktop.secrets - dconf: all GNOME settings
--talk-name=ca.desrt.dconf - talks to system service org.freedesktop.Avahi
--system-talk-name=org.freedesktop.Avahi - talks to system service org.bluez
--system-talk-name=org.bluez - inter-process communication (needed for X11)
--share=ipc - network
--share=network - printing
--socket=cups - audio
--socket=pulseaudio - Wayland display
--socket=wayland - access to ~/.config/kioslaverc
--filesystem=~/.config/kioslaverc - access to /tmp
--filesystem=/tmp - access to ~/.local/share/applications
--filesystem=~/.local/share/applications:create - access to /run/.heim_org.h5l.kcm-socket
--filesystem=/run/.heim_org.h5l.kcm-socket - access to ~/.config/dconf
--filesystem=~/.config/dconf:ro - access to your download folder
--filesystem=xdg-download - access to xdg-run/dconf
--filesystem=xdg-run/dconf - access to ~/.local/share/icons
--filesystem=~/.local/share/icons:create - access to xdg-run/pipewire-0
--filesystem=xdg-run/pipewire-0 - access to your desktop folder
--filesystem=xdg-desktop - Bluetooth
--allow=bluetooth - talks to org.xfce.ScreenSaver
--talk-name=org.xfce.ScreenSaver - notifications
--talk-name=org.freedesktop.Notifications - talks to org.freedesktop.FileManager1
--talk-name=org.freedesktop.FileManager1 - talks to org.mate.ScreenSaver
--talk-name=org.mate.ScreenSaver - talks to org.kde.kwalletd5
--talk-name=org.kde.kwalletd5 - talks to org.gnome.Mutter.IdleMonitor.*
--talk-name=org.gnome.Mutter.IdleMonitor.* - screensaver inhibit
--talk-name=org.freedesktop.ScreenSaver - talks to org.cinnamon.ScreenSaver
--talk-name=org.cinnamon.ScreenSaver - talks to com.canonical.AppMenu.Registrar
--talk-name=com.canonical.AppMenu.Registrar - session inhibit
--talk-name=org.gnome.SessionManager - talks to org.kde.kwalletd6
--talk-name=org.kde.kwalletd6 - talks to org.gnome.ScreenSaver
--talk-name=org.gnome.ScreenSaver - registers as a media player (MPRIS)
--own-name=org.mpris.MediaPlayer2.chromium.* - battery status
--system-talk-name=org.freedesktop.UPower
Who publishes this
The creator demonstrably controls this app id: Flathub verification, the hosting account owns the namespace, or a well-known file on their domain.
- verified on Flathub: the developer proved they control this app id
publisher:flathub
Maintenance
Recent activity on the upstream repository, or built and reviewed by Flathub.
No staleness signals: recent activity, or built and reviewed by Flathub.