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Overview

An Anime Game Launcher includes a built-in feature to disable game telemetry by blocking telemetry servers at the system level. This enhances your privacy by preventing the game from sending usage data to tracking servers.

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How It Works

The telemetry disabling feature modifies your system’s /etc/hosts file to redirect telemetry server domains to 0.0.0.0, effectively blocking all connections to these servers. Implementation: src/ui/main/disable_telemetry.rs

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Technical Details

When you click the “Disable Telemetry” button, the launcher:
  1. Retrieves telemetry server addresses for your game edition
  2. Generates hosts file entries that redirect each server to 0.0.0.0
  3. Appends these entries to /etc/hosts using elevated permissions
Code Implementation: 
let telemetry = config.launcher.edition
    .telemetry_servers()
    .iter()
    .map(|server| format!("echo '0.0.0.0 {server}' >> /etc/hosts"))
    .collect::<Vec<String>>()
    .join(" ; ");

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When Telemetry Disabling is Required

The launcher will show LauncherState::TelemetryNotDisabled when telemetry servers are not yet blocked. Button Appearance:
  • Icon: security-high-symbolic (shield icon)
  • Label: “Disable Telemetry”
  • Style: Suggested action (blue/highlighted)
This state appears before you can launch the game, ensuring telemetry is disabled before your first play session.

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Execution Methods

The launcher uses different execution methods depending on your system environment.

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Root Access Method

Used on standard Linux systems: 
Command::new("pkexec")
    .arg("bash")
    .arg("-c")
    .arg(format!("echo '' >> /etc/hosts ; {telemetry} ; echo '' >> /etc/hosts"))
    .spawn()
What happens:
  • pkexec prompts for administrator password
  • Commands are executed with root privileges
  • Blank lines are added before and after entries for readability

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Flatpak Method

Used when running as a Flatpak application: 
let use_root = std::env::var("LAUNCHER_USE_ROOT")
    .map(|var| var == "1")
    .unwrap_or_else(|_| !PathBuf::from("/.flatpak-info").exists());

if use_root {
    // pkexec method
} else {
    // direct bash method (Flatpak has host filesystem access)
    Command::new("bash")
        .arg("-c")
        .arg(format!("echo '' >> /etc/hosts ; {telemetry} ; echo '' >> /etc/hosts"))
        .spawn()
}
Flatpak installations may have direct host filesystem access configured, eliminating the need for pkexec.

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Environment Variables

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LAUNCHER_USE_ROOT

You can override the default root access detection:
  • Value: "1" to force pkexec usage
  • Default: Auto-detected based on Flatpak presence
Example: 
export LAUNCHER_USE_ROOT=1

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Telemetry Server Sources

Telemetry servers are defined per game edition: 
config.launcher.edition.telemetry_servers()
Each game edition (Global, China, etc.) may have different telemetry servers. The launcher automatically uses the correct list based on your configured edition.

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Process Flow

1

User Initiates

Click the “Disable Telemetry” button when the launcher is in TelemetryNotDisabled state.
2

Disable Buttons

The launcher disables all buttons to prevent multiple simultaneous operations:
sender.input(AppMsg::DisableButtons(true));
3

Background Execution

The operation runs in a background thread:
std::thread::spawn(move || {
    // telemetry disabling code
});
4

Execute Command

The launcher executes the appropriate command (pkexec or direct) based on your system configuration.Authentication: You may be prompted for your administrator password.
5

Verify Result

The command’s exit status is checked:
match output.and_then(|child| child.wait_with_output()) {
    Ok(output) => if !output.status.success() {
        // Show error toast
    }
}
6

Update State

After completion, buttons are re-enabled and the launcher state is updated:
sender.input(AppMsg::DisableButtons(false));
sender.input(AppMsg::UpdateLauncherState {
    perform_on_download_needed: false,
    show_status_page: true
});

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Error Handling

The launcher provides error feedback if telemetry disabling fails:

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Command Execution Failure

Err(err) => {
    tracing::error!("Failed to update /etc/hosts file");
    sender.input(AppMsg::Toast {
        title: tr!("telemetry-servers-disabling-error"),
        description: Some(err.to_string())
    });
}
Common causes:
  • User cancelled password prompt
  • Insufficient permissions
  • /etc/hosts file is read-only

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Non-Zero Exit Status

Ok(output) => if !output.status.success() {
    sender.input(AppMsg::Toast {
        title: tr!("telemetry-servers-disabling-error"),
        description: None // stdout/err is empty
    });
}
If telemetry disabling fails, check that:
  • You have administrator access on your system
  • /etc/hosts is not write-protected
  • Your user account can use pkexec/sudo

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Manual Verification

You can verify that telemetry has been disabled by checking your /etc/hosts file: 
cat /etc/hosts | grep "0.0.0.0"
You should see entries like: 
0.0.0.0 telemetry-server-1.example.com
0.0.0.0 telemetry-server-2.example.com

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Hosts File Format

The launcher adds entries in the following format: 
# (blank line for separation)
0.0.0.0 telemetry-server-1
0.0.0.0 telemetry-server-2
0.0.0.0 telemetry-server-3
# (blank line for separation)
Blank lines are added before and after the telemetry entries to improve readability when manually inspecting the file.

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Reverting Changes

If you need to re-enable telemetry for any reason:
  1. Open /etc/hosts with elevated permissions: 
    sudo nano /etc/hosts
  2. Locate the telemetry server entries (addresses redirected to 0.0.0.0)
  3. Delete or comment out those lines (add # at the start)
  4. Save the file
Re-enabling telemetry is rarely necessary but may be required for certain in-game features or troubleshooting.

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Privacy Considerations

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What is Blocked

  • Analytics and tracking servers
  • Usage statistics collection
  • Telemetry data transmission
  • Behavioral tracking endpoints

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What is NOT Blocked

  • Game update servers
  • Authentication servers
  • Content delivery networks (CDN)
  • Multiplayer/online features
Disabling telemetry does not affect game functionality. All gameplay features, updates, and online interactions continue to work normally.

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Security Notes

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System Modification

Modifying /etc/hosts is a system-level change that:
  • Requires administrator privileges
  • Affects all applications system-wide
  • Persists across system reboots
  • Can be manually reverted at any time

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pkexec Safety

The launcher uses pkexec (PolicyKit) rather than sudo for several reasons:
  • Better integration with desktop environments
  • Graphical password prompt
  • Granular permission control
  • Audit logging
Always verify the password prompt is from pkexec before entering your password. Legitimate prompts will show the command being executed.

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Troubleshooting

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Password Prompt Doesn’t Appear

Possible causes:
  • pkexec is not installed
  • PolicyKit is not configured
  • Running in a restricted environment
Solution: Install polkit package or set LAUNCHER_USE_ROOT=0 to try alternative method

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Permission Denied Error

Possible causes:
  • User account doesn’t have admin rights
  • PolicyKit rules prevent the operation
Solution: Add your user to the wheel or sudo group, or modify PolicyKit rules

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Changes Don’t Persist

Possible causes:
  • System restore on boot
  • Immutable filesystem
  • Network manager overriding /etc/hosts
Solution: Check for system management tools that may be resetting /etc/hosts

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Logging

Telemetry disabling operations are logged: 
tracing::error!("Failed to update /etc/hosts file");
View logs in the debug file (Menu → Debug File) for detailed troubleshooting information.

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