FAQ - nightcodex7/BravePurifier GitHub Wiki

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Common questions and answers about BravePurifier.

🔍 General Questions

What is BravePurifier?

Q: What exactly does BravePurifier do?

A: BravePurifier is an ultra-lightweight script that installs Brave Browser and applies comprehensive privacy hardening. It disables all telemetry, tracking, and unnecessary features while enabling maximum privacy protection. Think of it as a "privacy-first" installation of Brave Browser.

Why use BravePurifier instead of regular Brave installation?

Q: Why not just install Brave normally and configure it manually?

A: BravePurifier provides several advantages:

  • Comprehensive: Applies 50+ privacy settings automatically
  • System-wide: Configures policies for all users
  • Consistent: Ensures identical privacy configuration across systems
  • Time-saving: No manual configuration required
  • Expert-level: Applies advanced privacy settings most users don't know about

Is BravePurifier safe to use?

Q: Can I trust this script with my system?

A: Yes, BravePurifier is designed with safety in mind:

  • Open Source: All code is publicly available for review
  • No Data Collection: Script doesn't collect or transmit any data
  • Official Sources: Only uses official Brave repositories
  • Minimal Dependencies: Only requires curl and gnupg
  • Reversible: All changes can be undone

🔧 Installation Questions

Do I need to uninstall existing Brave first?

Q: I already have Brave installed. Do I need to remove it first?

A: No, BravePurifier automatically detects existing installations and updates them while applying privacy settings. Your bookmarks and essential data are preserved.

Can I run BravePurifier multiple times?

Q: What happens if I run the script again?

A: Running BravePurifier multiple times is safe and recommended for updates. It will:

  • Update Brave Browser to the latest version
  • Reapply privacy policies
  • Fix any configuration drift
  • Preserve user customizations where possible

Why does the script require root privileges?

Q: Why do I need to run the script with sudo?

A: Root privileges are required to:

  • Install packages system-wide
  • Add official Brave repositories
  • Apply system-wide privacy policies
  • Configure settings for all users
  • Remove telemetry components

Which Linux distributions are supported?

Q: Will BravePurifier work on my Linux distribution?

A: BravePurifier supports all major Linux distributions:

  • Debian/Ubuntu (APT)
  • Fedora/RHEL/CentOS (DNF/YUM)
  • Arch Linux (Pacman + AUR)
  • openSUSE (Zypper)
  • Gentoo (Portage)

See Supported Systems for the complete list.

🔒 Privacy Questions

What privacy features are enabled?

Q: What specific privacy enhancements does BravePurifier apply?

A: BravePurifier enables comprehensive privacy protection:

  • Telemetry: All data collection disabled
  • Tracking: Ads, trackers, and fingerprinting blocked
  • Permissions: Camera, microphone, location access blocked
  • Search: DuckDuckGo set as default search engine
  • Network: WebRTC IP leak protection enabled
  • Features: Brave Rewards, Wallet, VPN, News disabled
  • Cookies: Aggressive third-party cookie blocking

See Privacy Features for the complete list.

Can I re-enable disabled features?

Q: What if I want to use Brave Rewards or other disabled features?

A: Yes, you can re-enable features through Brave's settings:

  • Open Brave Browser
  • Go to Settings → Privacy and security
  • Adjust individual settings as needed
  • Some features may require restarting Brave

However, re-enabling features may reduce your privacy protection.

Does BravePurifier break any websites?

Q: Will the aggressive privacy settings break websites I visit?

A: Most websites work perfectly with BravePurifier settings. However:

  • Some sites may require enabling JavaScript or cookies
  • Video calls may need camera/microphone permissions
  • Location services will need to be enabled per-site
  • Payment sites may need to be whitelisted

You can adjust settings per-site using Brave's shield controls.

🛠️ Technical Questions

How do I verify the privacy settings are working?

Q: How can I test that the privacy features are actually working?

A: Test your privacy protection using these tools:

You should see minimal fingerprinting, no WebRTC leaks, and blocked trackers.

Where are the configuration files stored?

Q: Where does BravePurifier store its configuration?

A: Configuration is stored in multiple locations:

  • System policies: /etc/brave/policies/managed/
  • User settings: ~/.config/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/
  • Script logs: /var/log/brave-purifier.log (if logging enabled)

Can I customize the privacy settings?

Q: Can I modify the privacy policies applied by BravePurifier?

A: Yes, you can customize settings:

  • System-wide: Edit /etc/brave/policies/managed/privacy-policy.json
  • Per-user: Modify ~/.config/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Preferences
  • Runtime: Use Brave's settings interface

See Configuration for detailed customization options.

🔄 Update Questions

How do I update Brave Browser?

Q: How do I keep Brave Browser updated?

A: Simply run BravePurifier again:

sudo ./brave-purifier.sh

This will update Brave while preserving your privacy settings.

Do privacy settings persist after updates?

Q: Will my privacy settings be lost when Brave updates?

A: No, privacy settings persist because:

  • System policies are stored separately from Brave
  • User preferences are preserved during updates
  • BravePurifier can be re-run to restore settings if needed

How often should I run BravePurifier?

Q: How frequently should I run the script?

A: Run BravePurifier:

  • Monthly: To get latest Brave updates
  • After system updates: To ensure compatibility
  • When settings drift: If you notice privacy settings changed
  • For new users: When adding users to the system

🚫 Uninstallation Questions

How do I uninstall Brave Browser?

Q: How do I completely remove Brave Browser and BravePurifier settings?

A: Complete removal process:

# Remove Brave Browser
sudo apt remove --purge brave-browser  # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf remove brave-browser          # Fedora
sudo pacman -Rns brave-browser         # Arch Linux

# Remove privacy policies
sudo rm -rf /etc/brave/

# Remove user data
rm -rf ~/.config/BraveSoftware/

# Remove repositories (optional)
sudo rm -f /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list

Can I revert to default Brave settings?

Q: How do I undo BravePurifier changes and use default Brave settings?

A: To revert to default settings:

# Remove privacy policies
sudo rm -rf /etc/brave/policies/

# Reset user preferences
rm -rf ~/.config/BraveSoftware/Brave-Browser/Default/Preferences

# Restart Brave Browser
pkill brave-browser
brave-browser

🔧 Troubleshooting Questions

The script fails with permission errors

Q: I get "Permission denied" errors when running the script

A: Ensure you're running with proper permissions:

# Make script executable
chmod +x brave-purifier.sh

# Run with sudo
sudo ./brave-purifier.sh

Brave won't start after installation

Q: Brave Browser won't launch after running BravePurifier

A: Try these solutions:

# Check if Brave is installed
brave-browser --version

# Try launching with debug output
brave-browser --enable-logging --log-level=0

# Reset user data if needed
mv ~/.config/BraveSoftware ~/.config/BraveSoftware.backup
brave-browser

Package manager not detected

Q: The script says my package manager is unsupported

A: Verify your package manager is installed:

# Check available package managers
which apt || which dnf || which pacman || which zypper

# For Arch Linux, install AUR helper first
sudo pacman -S --needed base-devel git
git clone https://aur.archlinux.org/yay.git
cd yay && makepkg -si

🌐 Network Questions

Can I use BravePurifier behind a corporate firewall?

Q: Will BravePurifier work in corporate environments with restricted internet?

A: BravePurifier may work with additional configuration:

  • Proxy settings: Configure proxy environment variables
  • Firewall rules: Ensure access to Brave repositories
  • Certificate issues: May need to import corporate certificates

Contact your IT department for assistance with corporate network configuration.

Does BravePurifier work with VPNs?

Q: Can I use BravePurifier while connected to a VPN?

A: Yes, BravePurifier works perfectly with VPNs and actually enhances privacy when combined with VPN usage. The script doesn't interfere with VPN connections.

📱 Platform Questions

Does BravePurifier work on mobile devices?

Q: Can I use BravePurifier on Android or iOS?

A: No, BravePurifier is designed specifically for Linux desktop systems. Mobile platforms have different security models and don't support the same level of system-wide configuration.

What about Windows or macOS?

Q: Will BravePurifier ever support Windows or macOS?

A: Currently, BravePurifier is Linux-only. However:

  • Windows: You could use WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)
  • macOS: Similar privacy configurations could be developed for Homebrew
  • Future: Cross-platform support may be considered

🤝 Contributing Questions

How can I contribute to BravePurifier?

Q: I want to help improve BravePurifier. How can I contribute?

A: Contributions are welcome:

  • Bug Reports: Submit issues on GitHub
  • Feature Requests: Suggest improvements
  • Code Contributions: Submit pull requests
  • Documentation: Help improve the wiki
  • Testing: Test on different distributions

See Contributing for detailed guidelines.

Can I suggest new privacy features?

Q: I have ideas for additional privacy enhancements

A: Absolutely! Submit feature requests:

  • GitHub Issues: Create a feature request
  • Discussions: Start a discussion thread
  • Pull Requests: Implement and submit changes

All privacy enhancement suggestions are carefully evaluated.

FAQ: Debloat Options

Q: How do I choose which features to debloat? A: When you run Brave Purifier, you will be prompted for 5 easy-to-understand groups, plus a few individual options:

  • Brave Features & Services
  • Privacy & Tracking
  • Autofill & Passwords
  • Permissions
  • Other UI & Suggestions
  • Search Suggestions (separate)
  • Web Store (separate)
  • Background Mode (separate)

At the start, you can also choose to reset all Brave settings to defaults (does NOT delete bookmarks, passwords, cookies, credentials, autofill, or sync data). At the end, you can choose to set Google as the default search engine, or keep it unchanged.

Each group or option covers a set of related features. Answer 'y' to debloat all features in that group/option, or 'n' to skip.

Q: What does each group/option include? A: See the Home or Configuration page for a full list of what each group/option covers.

🚀 Cross-Platform Support

  • Linux: Full support for all major distributions.
  • Windows: Support coming soon! Windows compatibility is a work in progress and will be available in a future release.

Don't see your question here? Check the Troubleshooting page or create an issue on GitHub.