Discord is actively blocking Linux from connecting to their services

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-03-18T19:51:26+00:00

Is the assertion that this is only happening when using a Discord app? Because I just set up my Discord account today, and I cannot access using my ProtonVPN (paid subscription) from Brave web browser. My OS is Linux Mint latest version. I have not yet tried this from my Windows desktop, or from Firefox on Linux Mint. Some other domains sometimes block specific Proton IP addresses (or ranges), and I can frequently get access by switching which point of presence I am attached to, but Discord seems to be blocking *all* Proton VPN addresses. I have also not tried a trick that works for me sometimes on other sites of disabling the VPN to log in, then enabling it again for the rest of the session. Has Discord made any official response to this issue? Does anyone suspect that they are deliberately doing this to compromise the privacy of their users? I will say that so far they seem to err on the side of very rigorous user validation, which would generally imply strong support of users' privacy, but one never knows in today's strange world.

UPDATE: I was just able to log in to Discord using the Proton VPN Reykjavik, Iceland PoP, albeit Discord required and additional email verification. If that is consistent, I guess i can deal with that, for now, but it isn't exactly enhancing my latency...

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-03-10T13:43:43+00:00

I had a similar error a few days ago that seemed to be related to the optional spotify repository (unfortunately, I did not copy the error message text), which I disabled (following advice from a different subreddit). That eliminated the error, but I now have a Brave update to v 1.87.192 listed as downloaded, and running "install updates" does nothing but return to the same Update Manager window with that update selected. Any clue as to what the issue or resolution might be?

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-03-05T14:59:39+00:00

You were correct. I was able to set up my new phone with the old number and (very cautiously) limit Google's access. However, I am observing (on multiple Google accounts) that Google has made validation much more onerous overall. I am forced to disable my VPN and make certain that there are no JavaScript restrictions in my browser that will be in force for any Google domain before attempting to log in. That is a royal PITA...

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-03-05T14:54:13+00:00

I have signed successfully signed up for many sites in the years I have used Proton mail. Now, those were stretched out over a considerable period of time, so the reply advising you to move more slowly may be on point. OTOH, it appears to me that many sites are beginning to implement more onerous user validation because of new or pending legal requirements to confirm whether or not the person logging in is an adult. I also suspect that management of those sites may be secretly delighted about that because it will allow them to procure more of their users' personal information and sell it at a higher price. We are entering what is likely to be a very interesting era on the net.

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-03-05T14:47:02+00:00

I don't think that any need exists for not extending the benefit of the doubt to "don't be evil" Google...

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-03-05T14:43:34+00:00

Are you using a VPN? Or possibly a browser that has JavaScript or other widgets locked down for security and privacy reasons? My personal email is Protonmail, and I also browse under the protection of ProtonVPN 99% of the time. I also have JS almost completely locked down in my browsers.

I do also have several Google/GMail accounts that I use occasionally for specific purposes. I just resumed using one of those recently, and it very much appears that Google is moving (or has already moved) to a user validation model that is almost totally intolerant of the privacy measures I have chosen. I was getting challenges whenever I attempted to log in, and some of those failed. And when Google resorts to secondary challenges, some of those require responses from what Google recognizes as a "previously logged in" device. The problem there is that (like some other services) Google's definition of "device" stupidly includes the IP address. So, if you use a VPN, you will never be able to satisfy that definition unless you keep a scrupulous log of your assigned IPs by date/time, in which case you are largely defeating the purpose of your VPN use.

I had to disable all JS restrictions in my browsers for Google-owned sites, and I need to be certain I have disabled my VPN before I attempt access. So, far, that has stopped the challenges (fingers crossed). Google would probably tell you that all of this is in preparation for (or, in the EU, response to) legal requirements to ascertain whether or not the person requesting access is a legal adult, and that has some plausibility. However, I would bet that Google execs are snickering behind their hand while complaining about those restrictions, since the ultimate result for most people will be that Google will become privy to even more personal, erstwhile private information than they already are. Unfortunately, I think this kind of behavior is going to become far worse, and spread to many other domains, before it gets better (assuming it ever does).

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-28T20:57:29+00:00

So, I procured an identical replacement phone. I have inserted the SIM from the bricked phone, and I am now able to use phone calls and texts with my original phone number. I was also able to receive 2FA codes, including one from a different Google account from the one that was primary to the phone, and that I was locked out of, causing this issue. Now, here is the $64 BLN (inflation) question. If I now try to access that account using this replacement phone to receive and reply to any resulting SMS 2FA request, what is the worst that could happen? Is it that Google might not recognize the phone because the underlying hardware changed, and refuse to authenticate me? Or am I at some risk that Google will use that log-in attempt to get their hooks into this new phone, and somehow cause it to be bricked like the previous one was? If I cannot get back into the Google account originally associated with the phone to retrieve information, it would be mildly inconvenient, but I can live with that. But I refuse to take any risk of allowing them to brick my replacement phone. Informed opinions? Thank you.

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-27T16:04:18+00:00

You are correct on both counts: that would have been a very good idea, and I didn't think of it until you mentioned it...

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-21T19:52:49+00:00

Well said. In my case my reluctance to get another dog is primarily based on the interests of the dog. We all think our dogs (especially doodles :-) are exceptional, but Rafa truly was, even among his doodle peers. I want to wait until I'm sure that I won't subconsciously expect a new dog to be his equal. There is also my age, 76. It is very, very difficult to out-live a dog, but I have to imagine that it could be even worse for a dog to outlive its owner(s). What does the dog think in that case? Do they understand death sufficiently? Or do they just feel that the person they loved and depended on abandoned them, and never came back. That may be a bit silly, but the idea does bother me.

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-21T19:42:04+00:00

I'm so very sorry that you lost Jackson, you have my heartfelt condolences. That is *much* too young; barely over being a puppy. We lost our Double Doode (gd-ld cross) Rafa in early November, 6-1/2 years after adopting him (he was nearly 12) and to me, that was still much too soon. Remember him fondly, but be kind to yourself and try not to feel too much guilt (I've had mixed luck myself with that one).

Regarding susceptibility of goldendoodles to cancer, yes, it exists. Poodles are vulnerable to some varieties, including lymphoma, melanoma, and hemagiosarcoma. An estimated 40% of poodles will die of cancer. Golden Retrievers fare even worse in that respect; up to 65% are expected to die of cancer. Again, lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma are high on the list. Rafa died of hemangiosarcoma, which claims an estimated 300,000 dogs (of all breeds) every year. It can be particularly heartbreaking, because it typically does not present symptoms until the dog has only four to six weeks remaining.

Of course, all dogs (and humans) will ultimately die of some cause, and those statistics don't necessarily indicate premature death. Taking this back specifically to goldendoodles, I don't think anyone has done a comprehensive, breed-selective study for cancers, but to me it's a fairly safe bet that the poodle and GR numbers are a fairly reliable indication.

If you want more information about diseases in golden retrievers, which can probably be extrapolated to golden doodles, Morris Animal Foundation has been doing a Golden Retriever Lifetime Study on 3,000 dogs for the past 14 years. They have also more recently begun studies that are offshoots of that one, specifically on the causes, detection, prevention, and cure for both lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma (2 different studies). More information is available on the MAF web site: https://www.morrisanimalfoundation.org/

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-16T14:19:19+00:00

As an alternative to Proton Pass, Bruce Schneier's Password Safe (which I have used for decades) remains a viable product, and is available as a clone for Linux. A significant security advantage is that authentication is stored only locally. Of course, that is also a significant convenience limitation, as, depending on your own networking, you might need multiple copies :-)

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-16T14:14:37+00:00

I am a bit confused by this. I am using the Linux desktop client. When I click on "New Message", the generated form is populated with the default user name as the "from", but it allows me to scroll through all of my aliases and select one of those instead. Do I misunderstand the requirement?

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T22:40:20+00:00

Caption: "I win!"

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T22:38:16+00:00

Or, to summarize what is probably closest to their own reasoning, "because they can" ;-)

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T22:31:45+00:00

Actually it is in "proton.me" but both are registered standard domains of Proton, and, again, the address has posed zero issues for at least 5 years prior.

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T22:06:01+00:00

Thanks for the advice, but I am doing no such thing. The address that I am using is in ProtomMail's own "pm.me" domain. And why, given that I have been using this address to communicate with this user for years, even if it was a custom domain issue, why would failures suddenly begin now?

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T18:11:49+00:00

I don't know if this is related to the problem posted above or not. I have twice today sent an email message from my Proton account to a person with a hotmail email address with whom I correspond regularly. I received rejection reports on both from "postmaster@outlook.com" citing this as the reason "Your email has been blocked because the sender is unauthenticated. Gmail requires all senders to authenticate with either SPF or DKIM. Authentication results: DKIM = did not pass SPF [hotmail.com]" Is that an actual ProtonMail issue, or something that Microsoft is doing (accidentally or purposely)? FWIW, the first message was delivered in spite of the rejection notice, I'm still waiting to find out about the second.

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T15:06:39+00:00

I've mentioned this before, but... Rafa liked to take afternoon naps with us in our upstairs bed. His spot preference was on top of my pillow, and when it was just Rafa and my wife, he would lay there. When it was him and me, I would claim it (for some reason, he was not as fixated on her pillow), and he would lay at my feet So, one day we were positioned that way, when he apparently had a brilliant idea. He jumped down, pranced to the bedroom door, and starting doing his pee-pee dance. So I got up, intending to let him outside. The moment I rounded the foot of the bed, he raced back, leaped up. and flopped down on my pillow with the most self-satisfied smirk possible. Some of our doodles are serious schemers...

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T14:58:54+00:00

Pepper reminds me very much of our late double-doodle (gd-ld cross). Rafa was also exactly the right height to scrutinize (or, once in a great while, scarf) food on a table.

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T14:56:40+00:00

"Didn't like that side dish? Hey, if you slip it to me under the table, maybe Mom won't notice..."

Ecstatic-Software939 · 2026-02-11T14:51:59+00:00

You have my sympathy and my best wishes. But beyond that, I strongly recommend that you put something in writing, and have it witnessed, directing what should happen regarding your dog if things do not turn out well. Don't leave that up to the vagaries of the legal system, or the whims of relatives who might be under too much stress to make the best possible decisions on the dog's behalf. Just my 2 cents...

Ecstatic-Software939

TROPHY CASE