# BSDstats Failed



## Qoo (Mar 28, 2016)

Attempting to run BSDstats for the first time and I get the following error:


```
#bsdstats-send
BSDstats runs on this system for the first time, generating registration ID
BSDstats failed: Invalid key/token combination received from the server
```

The only thing I was able to find was this: http://mpc.lists.freebsd.questions.narkive.com/ldR1U5CD/bsdstats-6-0-has-been-released
but I still have this issue. Any ideas? Thanks much.

System:
FreeBSD 10.2-RELEASE
ECS MB
Intel Celeron J1800
4GB RAM


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## SirDice (Mar 29, 2016)

http://www.bsdstats.org/bt/instructions.html


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## Terry_Kennedy (Apr 2, 2016)

Qoo said:


> Attempting to run BSDstats for the first time and I get the following error:
> [snip]


I had sysutils/bsdstats installed on a few dozen systems but removed it after it stopped working for (at least( several months.

I get a strong feeling of "there's nobody back there", since visiting http://bsdstats.org provides a large collection of broken links and just-plain-weird behavior. For example, "release stats" and "device stats" produce no output, and "ports stats" also fails, though in a different manner. The download link on the page SirDice linked to simply redirects to the home page (I realize the code is in the ports tree, this is just another example of broken behavior by that site).

It is a nice idea and would be useful if it could actually collect and display data. As it is, it should be removed IMHO.


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## topcat (Jun 15, 2017)

I cannot run this either. The error reported is: "token enabling request failed".
Can anyone confirm if this still works?


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## Bulo (Jul 24, 2017)

I cannot run this either.  The same message as people above.
It's a pity that BSDstats project is dead


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## Deleted member 30996 (Jul 24, 2017)

I rebooted one of my boxen this early this morning and got a result of SUCCESS in all three fields. I have seen it fail for the ports field but successfully report the other three the past.

Edit: Since I just rebooted it anyway I did so again so I get a photo.


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## Terry_Kennedy (Jul 26, 2017)

Trihexagonal said:


> I rebooted one of my boxen this early this morning and got a result of SUCCESS in all three fields. I have seen it fail for the ports field but successfully report the other three the past.
> 
> Edit: Since I just rebooted it anyway I did so again so I get a photo.


Must be a fluke.

```
===>  Installing for bsdstats-6.0_2
===>  Checking if bsdstats already installed
===>   Registering installation for bsdstats-6.0_2
Installing bsdstats-6.0_2...
Would you like to run BSDstats now [yes]? y

BSDstats runs on this system for the first time, generating registration ID
BSDstats failed: token enabling request failed
```


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## priyadarshan (Jul 26, 2017)

I am having same issue.

This ticket is related: PR 219330


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## Deleted member 30996 (Jul 27, 2017)

It no longer works of me either now that I've rebuilt my systems. I had built bsdstats back in March.


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## Bulo (Aug 2, 2017)

today it works for me.
the same machine


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## Deleted member 30996 (Aug 3, 2017)

I installed it on my new FreeBSD 11.1-RELEASE build tonight and it's still not working for me.


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## Terry_Kennedy (Jan 4, 2018)

Trihexagonal said:


> I installed it on my new FreeBSD 11.1-RELEASE build tonight and it's still not working for me.


This has *finally* been fixed. It was apparently completly broken, as the usage count for a port was at 1 after I triggered a `# bsdstats-send` and I've seen the count increase to 6 as I repeatedly refreshed the page.


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## poorandunlucky (Jan 5, 2018)

```
[1/1] Installing bsdstats-6.0_2...
[1/1] Extracting bsdstats-6.0_2: 100%
Would you like to run BSDstats now [yes]? y
BSDstats runs on this system for the first time, generating registration ID
Posting OS statistics to rpt.bsdstats.org ... SUCCESS
Posting device statistics to rpt.bsdstats.org ... SUCCESS
Posting CPU information to rpt.bsdstats.org ... SUCCESS
Posting port statistics to rpt.bsdstats.org ... SUCCESS
```


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## priyadarshan (Jan 5, 2018)

I tried running it again form one of our servers, finally it works.

Ultimately we decided to remove it from all installations, as it is not clear who owns the data, and how it will be used.

After what happened, it was felt that project could not be trusted anymore.

FreshPorts.org could probably have a similar stats, if needed to prove FreeBSD popularity.


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## Snurg (Jan 6, 2018)

priyadarshan said:


> Ultimately we decided to remove it from all installations, as it is not clear who owns the data, and how it will be used.
> 
> After what happened, it was felt that project could not be trusted anymore.


Indeed, it needs trust to let others know, which software, which versions, etc are installed on your system.
You mentioned, that something happened. Can you give a hint what it was, as I don't know what you mean?

Another thing what wonders me much:



This makes me ask myself:
Does BSDstats get installed on TrueOS by default?

Do the TrueOS users get told that their system data gets transmitted to an potentially dubious unidentifiable group with no contact address, with no actual people standing for it, etc? -- corrected, see lebarondemerde's post below


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## rigoletto@ (Jan 6, 2018)

By the site data, sysutils/bsdstats is a project of "Marc G. Fournier" <scrappy@FreeBSD.org>, who seem to be a FreeBSD veteran developer.


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## Deleted member 30996 (Jan 6, 2018)

Yes, I don't think there is anything to worry about, their freshports page explains their motives clearly and convincingly.

It's been around 12 years. I'm a longtime user and going to install it right now since it's working again..


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## Snurg (Jan 6, 2018)

lebarondemerde, good to see that the people are known.
But, what I am seriously missing is a clear statement, which data exactly are transferred in which way and and how privacy is being ensured.
I mean, practically every web site nowadays has a privacy statement...

This would make people less hesitant to install BSDstats, which I find a great idea in principle.

And, what about including an option page in bsdinstall, which explains BSDstats and encourages users to enable it? I mean, few people (including me) know/knew about it


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## rigoletto@ (Jan 6, 2018)

Snurg

While not disagreeing with you, because there could have a more detailed explanation of how it works (yes), everything is in /usr/local/etc/periodic/monthly/300.statistics.

Btw, one could e-mail the developer and ask to the possibility of adding sysutils/bsdstats to `bsdinstall`.


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## Snurg (Jan 6, 2018)

If it's not installed yet, one can look at it here: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-ports/tree/master/sysutils/bsdstats/files

Why I would like to have clarity, is what gets submitted. This article suggests that the FQDN might be submitted, for example.
I find this unacceptable. This is not what I understand as "anonymity".

I looked a while around in the scripts, and it to me is not really easy to read and see what data exactly gets transferred.
This should be explained clearly and detailed.

And, if I read the script correctly, the whole data gets transferred in *clear text http*.
*
To be honest, I do not exactly feel well at the idea transferring my detailed system information, including version information of each and every package, together with my computers' FQDN completely unencrypted*.

If there is a database at the BSDstats server, which stores all that highly-sensitive stuff, and gets cracked, this might be *catastrophic* for the BSDstats participants.
Because, if that is stored together with the FQDN, it's like an invitation "Hack me!".

Thus I really think there should be 100% transparency about the whole BSDstats processing, including data handling on the server, to generate more trust in using it.


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## Deleted member 30996 (Jan 6, 2018)

I rebuilt it today. I remember a long time ago someone brought up this subject, only they had failed to take into account installing it was voluntary and he was saying it was spyware.

I'm not too worried about it personally, and I am very security conscious. If that info gives them an edge in promoting FreeBSD to "hardware vendors and purchasers, device driver maintainers", etc I'll provide my stats.

They could most likely look at my screenshots and glean more information out of them if they so desired. I'm running `top` in most of them, sysutils/gkrellm in every one, show what programs I'm running at the time on the desktop, machine name and user name.

Probably much more info than I'm transmitting to bsdstats.


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## Terry_Kennedy (Jan 17, 2018)

Trihexagonal said:


> I'm not too worried about it personally, and I am very security conscious. If that info gives them an edge in promoting FreeBSD to "hardware vendors and purchasers, device driver maintainers", etc I'll provide my stats.


There is at least one information-disclosure issue. If you use the ports framework for maintaining your own software, the categories / names you give your packages will be sent to the bsdstats server (and displayed to others - for example, look at devel / local_tevent). I also raised a number of somewhat-related issues with the bsdstats author, although they aren't information-disclosure issues. I believe the set of issues I reported is being worked on, but I don't know if there is a timeframe.


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## Deleted member 30996 (Jan 17, 2018)

Terry_Kennedy said:


> There is at least one information-disclosure issue. If you use the ports framework for maintaining your own software, the categories / names you give your packages will be sent to the bsdstats server (and displayed to others - for example, look at devel / local_tevent).



I use ports but build with ports-mgmt/portmaster exclusively.

I did check and there are posts here going back to 2010 that voice concern about the privacy issues brought up in this thread.


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