Changelog - nightcodex7/BravePurifier GitHub Wiki

Changelog

All notable changes to BravePurifier will be documented in this file.

The format is based on Keep a Changelog, and this project adheres to Semantic Versioning.

[Unreleased]

Planned

  • Alpine Linux support (APK package manager)
  • Void Linux support (XBPS package manager)
  • NixOS support (Nix package manager)
  • Automated testing framework
  • Configuration validation tools
  • Performance optimizations

[1.0.0] - 2024-01-15

Added

  • Initial Release: Complete BravePurifier implementation
  • Multi-Distribution Support: APT, DNF, YUM, Pacman, Zypper, Portage
  • Comprehensive Privacy Policies: 50+ privacy enhancements applied
  • System-Wide Configuration: Policies applied for all users
  • User-Specific Settings: Individual privacy configurations
  • Telemetry Removal: Complete removal of tracking components
  • Automatic Detection: Package manager and system detection
  • Error Handling: Robust error checking and recovery
  • Update Support: Seamless updates while preserving settings
  • Verification System: Installation and configuration verification

Privacy Features

  • Telemetry Disabled: All data collection and reporting disabled
  • Ad/Tracker Blocking: Aggressive content blocking enabled
  • Fingerprinting Protection: Browser fingerprinting blocked
  • WebRTC Protection: IP leak prevention enabled
  • Search Privacy: DuckDuckGo set as default search engine
  • Permission Hardening: Camera, microphone, location access blocked
  • Cookie Protection: Third-party cookie blocking enabled
  • Feature Debloating: Brave Rewards, Wallet, VPN, News disabled

Supported Systems

  • Debian/Ubuntu: Full APT support with GPG verification
  • Fedora/RHEL/CentOS: DNF and YUM support with repository management
  • Arch Linux: Pacman support with AUR helper integration
  • openSUSE: Zypper support with automatic key import
  • Gentoo: Portage support with binary packages

Security Enhancements

  • GPG Verification: All packages verified with official keys
  • Official Repositories: Only official Brave repositories used
  • Minimal Dependencies: Only curl and gnupg required
  • Root Privilege Checks: Proper permission validation
  • Signal Handling: Graceful interruption handling

Documentation

  • Comprehensive README: Complete installation and usage guide
  • Wiki Pages: Detailed documentation for all features
  • Installation Guide: Step-by-step instructions for all distributions
  • Privacy Features: Complete list of privacy enhancements
  • Troubleshooting: Common issues and solutions
  • FAQ: Frequently asked questions and answers
  • Contributing: Development and contribution guidelines

Technical Implementation

  • Modular Design: Clean separation of concerns
  • Error Recovery: Robust error handling and recovery mechanisms
  • Logging System: Comprehensive logging with color-coded output
  • Configuration Management: Systematic policy and preference management
  • Update Mechanism: Safe update process preserving user settings

Development History

Pre-Release Development

v0.9.0 - Beta Release

  • Core functionality implemented
  • Basic multi-distribution support
  • Initial privacy policies
  • Testing on major distributions

v0.8.0 - Alpha Release

  • Proof of concept implementation
  • Ubuntu/Debian support only
  • Basic privacy configuration
  • Manual testing framework

v0.7.0 - Initial Development

  • Project conception and planning
  • Research on Brave Browser privacy
  • Analysis of system-wide policy management
  • Development environment setup

Version Numbering

BravePurifier follows Semantic Versioning:

  • MAJOR version when making incompatible API changes
  • MINOR version when adding functionality in a backwards compatible manner
  • PATCH version when making backwards compatible bug fixes

Version 1.0.0 Significance

Version 1.0.0 represents:

  • Stable API: Script interface is stable and reliable
  • Production Ready: Thoroughly tested on all supported distributions
  • Complete Feature Set: All planned core features implemented
  • Comprehensive Documentation: Complete user and developer documentation
  • Security Audited: Security review completed
  • Community Ready: Ready for widespread community adoption

Release Process

Release Criteria

Each release must meet these criteria:

  • All automated tests pass
  • Manual testing completed on all supported distributions
  • Documentation updated and reviewed
  • Security review completed (for major releases)
  • Performance benchmarks meet standards
  • Breaking changes documented and migration guide provided

Release Schedule

  • Major Releases: Annually or for significant breaking changes
  • Minor Releases: Quarterly for new features
  • Patch Releases: As needed for critical bug fixes
  • Security Releases: Immediately for security vulnerabilities

Migration Guides

Upgrading to 1.0.0

Since this is the initial release, no migration is required. Fresh installation recommended.

Future Upgrades

Migration guides will be provided for:

  • Configuration file format changes
  • Policy structure modifications
  • Command-line interface changes
  • System requirement updates

Deprecation Policy

Deprecation Timeline

  • Announcement: Feature marked as deprecated
  • Grace Period: Minimum 6 months before removal
  • Removal: Feature removed in next major version
  • Documentation: Migration path provided

Currently Deprecated

No features are currently deprecated in version 1.0.0.

Security Updates

Security Release Process

  1. Vulnerability Reported: Security issue identified
  2. Assessment: Impact and severity evaluation
  3. Fix Development: Patch developed and tested
  4. Release: Emergency release with security fix
  5. Disclosure: Public disclosure after fix deployment

Security Advisories

Security advisories will be published:

  • GitHub Security Advisories: For repository-specific issues
  • CVE Database: For significant vulnerabilities
  • Release Notes: Summary in changelog

Community Contributions

Contributors to 1.0.0

  • nightcodex7: Project creator and lead developer
  • Community Testers: Various distribution testing volunteers
  • Documentation Contributors: Wiki and README improvements

Contribution Recognition

Contributors are recognized through:

  • Changelog Mentions: Significant contributions noted
  • README Credits: Contributor list maintenance
  • GitHub Statistics: Automatic contribution tracking

Acknowledgments

Special Thanks

  • Brave Software: For creating privacy-focused browser
  • Linux Community: For distribution-specific guidance
  • Privacy Advocates: For feature suggestions and testing
  • Open Source Community: For tools and inspiration

Third-Party Components

  • Brave Browser: Core browser application
  • DuckDuckGo: Default privacy-focused search engine
  • Linux Distributions: Package management systems
  • GNU/Linux Tools: curl, gnupg, and system utilities

Note: This changelog is maintained manually and may not include all minor changes. For complete change history, see the Git commit log.

For questions about releases or to report issues, please use the GitHub issue tracker.