[greyandgreen]

Which is unwelcome because Raspberry Pi included a repo for a Microsoft product without informing users prior. It pings MS every time an update occurs. It's one thing for it to be available, but another entirely for RPi to assume users want anything to do with MS. If I wanted to program using VSC, I would download it based on my need for it. I have no need for it since I don't live in a MS world.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/users-upset-as-raspberry-pi-os-no...

https://betanews.com/2021/02/08/linux-based-raspberry-pi-os-...

To disable it using the terminal:

cd /etc/apt/sources.list.d

ls to look for "vscode.list"

Enter sudo nano vscode.list

Comment out last line with the MS URL

I don't want to disable it, I want it to go away and never return, but sadly, RPi think they know better than their users and it will show up again if deleted. I may look for another Pi distro because this is beyond the pale. Addind repos is a personal thing beyond the basic repos needed to run to OS and default software/updates. I'm also not a fan of MS owning GitHub.

[aeastw]

I really don't understand how this is an issue. The raspbian distro is designed and fundamentally revolves around being a learning environment with as little friction/barrier to entry as possible. So having the repo available makes sense. If there is a need to be in complete control of every aspect of what is installed in the distro then there is always the option of creating your own distro that is completely controlled using something like the Yocto Project.

[greyandgreen]

I use the software I do for many reasons. One of these reasons is that I dislike Microsoft and their business practices. I don't want to deal with them on any level, and for RPi to assume this low barrier to entry is welcome assumes many things they shouldn't assume. MS bought GitHub, which is bad enough. Their telemetry is reason enough to avoid them. America needs a version of the GDPR stat.

[nso]

I fricken love Microsoft and their products that have pushed the whole business of computing to an unpresedented level. And with their recent (as in the last years) focus on contributing, valuing, and pushing open source they have my full respect for being able to see that this is the way of the future.

Perspectives, I guess.

[xyproto]

They would also have pushed vendor lock-in to an unprecedented level, if they were allowed to.

[jonp888]

The Rpi Foundation already worked together with Microsoft on Windows IoT Core, and Tte Raspbian distribution includes many different packages from many different authors, some commercial, even though some of them may not be used by everyone.

So I think it's fairly clear they do not share your extreme views on Microsoft, and on not installing any software that is not needed by every user. You picked the wrong distro.

[mijndert]

You're mad because your Raspberry Pi offers you the possibility to install a piece of software you have no interest in? Microsoft can't track you if you just simply... don't install vscode. It's that simple.

[vetinari]

> Microsoft can't track you if you just simply... don't install vscode.

Not really true. As the GP wrote:

> It pings MS every time an update occurs

is exactly true. You will ping Microsoft every single time you run 'apt update', even if you have nothing installed from this repo.

Ideally, the repo should be disabled by default.

[mijndert]

The same goes for every repo by that definition. The only solution is to download tarballs and compile everything yourself.

[vetinari]

The difference is that you usually add the specific repos only when you need them. This one is configured and enabled out of the box, by default, for everyone.

I wonder... why so many people on this topic miss the nuances and suggest going into extremes?

[viro]

ah yes every repo is tracking you. -_-

[vetinari]

well, because enabling a repo only when you need it is sooo difficult -_-

[viro]

I have been using linux(slackware) since the late 90's. You are the first person I have ever seen even suggest that as an idea.

[vetinari]

Really? Slackware came with proprietary repos enabled by default? (I don't remember; I had slackware on floppies).

Even Ubuntu didn't do that; their partners repo is off by default, if you want it, you can enable it. Fedora has similar mechanism, where it asks you when you first time run the Gnome Software.