Installing and configuring Brave browser on Debian 11

Terminal Velocity

Terminal Velocity

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Early in the morning here, so I will put more up later in my day
2023-11-07_05-21.png

profile name and icon is up to you...I just use my name...not fussed about an icon...personal choice
the specific pages are my choice....yours will vary of course.
I use Homey productive .....it opens when I simply want a page to search from......Homey comes from :
chrome.google.com

Chrome Web Store

Add new features to your browser and personalize your browsing experience.
chrome.google.com chrome.google.com
chrome.google.com

Chrome Web Store

Add new features to your browser and personalize your browsing experience.
chrome.google.com chrome.google.com

I can add bookmarks to it...places I visit every day....quick access
I add my password manager extension to it as well....in my case i use bitwarden...again it is in the chrome web store

There is a setting at the bottom of that page....
customise new tab page....when I click on that i see.....

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In linux mint i can make a shortcut so that when I hit two keys...in my case it is alt+z.....it opens a search page (duckduckgo)...
I know zero about debian 11, but I would imagine that is possible there as well....your choice.

more later
 
Terminal Velocity said:
hardened FF
Click to expand...

Yup and as that'd be expected. Your configuration is unique, altered from the norm in ways most folks aren't going to go. That makes you more easily fingerprinted and potentially less private. So, what you did to increase your security lowered your privacy, making it easier to track across sites sharing information.
 
@KGIII You have said once that you're gonna test Mullvad Browser, I'm still waiting for the review! I installed it yesterday and tested it with ''Cover Your Tracks'' and it performed worse than FF
 
2nd page..Appearance:
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The majority of those are (as the name suggests) about the look.....so personal like/dislike
I use the wide address bar becasue my eyes are not whta they used to be
I dont use a tab search button....I raely hae so many open that I cannot see them at a glance...also I have twpo monitors so there is no need.
I dont need a sidebar....gets in the way..it is a distraction.

3. Shields. These settings make a difference.
2023-11-07_08-31.png

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Later
 
Terminal Velocity said:
You have said once that you're gonna test Mullvad Browser
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. My browser testing kind of got thrown on the back burner. Finding unique things to say about them is difficult.

Also, yeah... That's definitely going to stand out - unless some other action is taken (like Brave's randomization). That's what this test is for. It's for demonstrating how your browser stands out against other internet users. If you do something unique, you'll stand out more.

Let's say you're walking down through a housing development and all the houses look alike.

Pretty ping houses, all in a row.

Suddenly, you come across one pretty pink house that has a fence around it. They've installed security cameras and there's a gate at the end of their driveway. You can hear a loud dog barking behind the fence.

Which one stands out more? Which one attracts the most attention?

I suppose it's up to the user to decide where on these spectrums they'd like to be.
 
4. Brave Rewards. right click on brave rewards in the address bar and select to hide it

Then....



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5.Web3.
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6.Sync
if you have brave on an iphone, you can synchronise the settings from your pc with the phone
ZYou can choose which settings you wish to synchronise or share etc

I choose not to.

8. Search Engine.
1699312778299.png

Fairly self explanatory.
I use duckduckgo ...it is quick and the search results are ok

9. Extensions.
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....manage extensions....will show what extensions are installed

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Autofill and Passwords. I do not use autofill, and I do not save passwords here.
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11. Languages. personal Choice.

12. Downloads. You choose where to save anything you download. I use the desktop

13. Help Tips.
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14. System.
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No doubt you will see reddit.com Yes, I browse Reddit...occasionaly....I do so using a vpn based in Switzerland.
 
This browser is just heck. I would have strongly advised to install it only on a rolling-release distro. If Debian is insisted on so much then do it on "Testing" or maybe even install siduction instead. :O

However I had to cut cold with Manjaro MATE and using this web browser because it was taking ages to start, and I was getting issues with it that aren't seen on Firefox. Chiefly I used Brave because most of the time, it blocked ads better than Firefox which requires at least one extension for it. But with Youtube and other companies going into antics to force ads on every user, there isn't really a lot of difference for me anymore. I resolve to avoid anything based on Chromium, because I don't think Firefox is better. I use it, because I want something better that demanding Linux users deserve.
 
I missed (quite deliberately, Privacy & Security
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If you wish to retain history etc or clear it etc ....that is your choice....it can be set up in "Clear browsing Data'

cookies and other site data. (NOTE...there is a setting here that allows you to clear cookies and site data when you close all windows. your choice. i do not clear them, it slows me down too much...but I do clear all cookies often)

This a complex area.....I truly dont understand all of it....but the settings that I have appear reasonable according to the cover your tracks results

1699314111036.png



Security
1699314429716.png

In the Advanced area, I choose to NOT use my ISP....
Instead I choose to use Google (public DNS)
Yes...Google
WHy?...it is quick.....and I have a (perhaps misguided) belief that they do not gather info from this area
I could be wrong.
Site and shield settings.....I try hard to keep Shields UP wherever possible. Sometimes this makes life hard

Hard to access a site which I need to...
I will always report if keeping the shields up will break the site...eg unable to access it
To brave's credit a few of those sites have become available to access.

I never allow access to cameras microphones location etc etc
I allow notifications from Linux.org Not because I trust the site, but because it is convenient for me

i do not allow any others.

Private window with Tor, is up to you. It is probably useful in some cases. I have not seen any undue criticism of it online, so assume it is reasonably safe.

criticism is cheap and easy to come by....just watch the naysayers comment here on their experience with Brave.
....and yet the Cover your tracks result is Undeniable.

Just an afterthought. I do not often frequent youtube.....usually only to find music for Rock Roxx on this site, or for my own use...but when i do, I do not 'sign in'....and nor do I see any adds (apart from the odd one or two that may play before or after the music i am viewing/listening to.
Just to add...there is an app available in the linux mint software manager called 'Video Downloader' which downloads any music or video that I choose, without mistakes or drama of any kind. It is regularly updated via the Update Manager.
 
Last edited:
Thank you @Condobloke for all the settings, I think I will set it up at some point while using it. My first impression is that the internet is working better in this Chromium based browser, FF has a sense of broken almost everywhere this days
 
brave is decidedly quicker than firefox.
 
It will also update fairly frequently. The brave people tend to stay on top of things. it has never broken on me.

Be sure to keep it updated just as frequently.

Anyway, work your way through the settings etc...it can take a little time to get used to it.

good luck.
 
Condobloke said:
It will also update fairly frequently. The brave people tend to stay on top of things. it has never broken on me.

Be sure to keep it updated just as frequently.

Anyway, work your way through the settings etc...it can take a little time to get used to it.

good luck.
Click to expand...
You said that with the instructions you gave for installation it will update automatically through the software manager, isn't that correct?
 
Yes, correct.

Apply the updates promptly
 
I use Brave. Almost everything in the settings is set to off. To be honest, I don't even know what most of those things are. Wallet, rewards, web3, torrent, Tor. No idea.
 
Condobloke said:
criticism is cheap and easy to come by....just watch the naysayers comment here on their experience with Brave.
....and yet the Cover your tracks result is Undeniable.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry. I only wanted to voice out my experience. I did say using Firefox is not better than using Brave, but I have no choice right now.

I have also gone into Youtube only for music, primarily pop-rock of the 1970's and 1980's, and European electronic music (eg. Warp Records) of the 1990's. :)
 
wendy-lebaron said:
However I had to cut cold with Manjaro MATE and using this web browser because it was taking ages to start,
Click to expand...
You would have to ask the question....why ?

brave is a fast browser with little to no dramas. I would take an eductaed guess that the problem was not the browser itself but something else...possibly something it was interacting with?...I have zero knowledge re manjaro, so cannot comment further.

Maybe this ?

Installing is not working?​

Not all Manjaro editions have the needed software installed by default, to install software from this application you need to install web-installer-url-handler package, that is available in Manjaro repositories.

You are advised to use the installer only if you are on Stable branch, as it might not work on others.

pamac install web-installer-url-handler

and/or

You can find Brave in the Snapcraft Store, but while it is maintained by Brave Software, it is not yet working as well as our official packages. We currently recommend that users who are able to use our official package repositories do so instead of using the Snap.
 
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