The CEO of PROTON answers YOUR questions! Drive, Linux support, Photos, features, and a lot more!
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Andy Yen, the CEO of Proton (Mail, Drive, VPN, Pass...) answered a lot of the questions you, the community, asked, in an interview that covers basically ever...

The link right here goes to 40:02 of Proton’ boss on the TLE channel about Linux support, where a Drive Client is deemed so difficult to achieve that they don’t even have a roadmap for it. Nor is the word “Linux” featured anywhere on proton’s pages about Drive.

coughdropboxcough

If I believe what I see on Lemmy, 99% of users here are on Linux, and the 1% remaining probably are just waiting on a Drive Linux Client to make the switch, right? Right?

Please take the survey and maybe mention politely our deep sorrow and profound distress.

https://form.typeform.com/to/L0UNpRar

The accompanying message says “Limited submissions. Respond now to ensure your voice is heard.”

Let’s go! Thanks!

  • Vent@lemm.eeEnglish
    21·
    6 months ago

    Focus of my survey:

    1. I don’t care about LLMs
    2. Focus on core products instead of making new stuff

    I’ll be interested to see the results on how everyone else reacted to all of the AI questions.

  • Dr. Moose@lemmy.worldEnglish
    4·
    6 months ago

    Proton seems to have given up on Linux. The bridge keep breaking for me and I need to constantly restart it, the vpn client is still super slow and incredibly clunky. Wouldn’t expect much from these requests tbh

    • ReallyZen@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      1·
      6 months ago

      I never had the VPN app to work, I use the config file generator then set it up in NetworkMamager - which at least work all the time.

  • CraigeryTheKid@lemm.eeEnglish
    4·
    6 months ago

    I have trouble believing it is that hard, when rclone already works with proton.

    Using built-in rclone options, it works just fine. It’s very slow… But it’s the same rate as direct to browser.

      • Scolding7300@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        6 months ago

        How slow are we talking? Like latency between file add to file start uploading? Or just general time it takes to download/upload?

        • ReallyZen@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
          2·
          6 months ago

          Up/Down speed is my feeling, but “negotiations” between client and server too.

  • pathief@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    6 months ago

    While I wish Linux support was something they prioritized, it doesn’t take much to understand it’s never gonna happen.

    It takes a single look into the Proton VPN v4 client to understand Linux is a third class citizen at best.

      • pathief@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        6 months ago

        The problem isn’t just the packaging format, it’s the quality of the application. It’s missing a ton of functionalities that exist in the windows version. Wireguard isn’t available, for instance. And have you seen the design? Why do other OS get a beautiful application and we have that?

          • pathief@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            6 months ago

            Proton does improve their products, that’s true. I’m very happy with the improvements they have been making with Proton Pass, for instance.

            But they don’t improve their linux products, at least not at a reasonable pace. How many years to we need to wait for WireGuard support? Or ipv6? :/

    • ReallyZen@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      1·
      6 months ago

      That Boss guy says it there, Linux customership is negligible. I was happy to switch to an ethical ecosystem, but at the end of the day Proton is a company that runs for profit.

      Nevermind that this specific Linux customership is exponentially sensitive to privacy and security next to the average windows user, our money still doesn’t matter.

      It’s… annoying. Drive is relegated to weekly Dead Stupid Backups while Dropbox gives me real filesharing, VPN is highly unstable next to my former… dare I mention it? Yes: next to NkrdVPN which was ultra reliable anywhere I went, and Mail is only used for the passmail obfuscation since I don’t think I’ll stay with proton and didn’t switch my main mail to it.

      I’d be curious to know if the userbase of proton products reflects that of general statistics of OS’es repartition.

      • pathief@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        6 months ago

        That Boss guy says it there, Linux customership is negligible.

        Yeah, of course. I understand this. Developing for Linux is hard and probably not worth it financially.

        It’s also a chicken/egg problem, isn’t it? If a Linux user is seeking a VPN software, why would they pick Proton over something with a better client? (eg: Mullvad). You can’t get a good user base when your product is so inferior.

        The Proton Drive problem is something I don’t really understand. How hard would it be to develop a v1 product with rclone and then a v2 product that was actually nice?

        • ReallyZen@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
          1·
          6 months ago

          I am a full Proton paying customer too. At the time of signup, a Drive Linux client was supposedly next in line… There’s zero mention of it now. I need a VPN IRL and wasn’t keen on relying on a free plan where I was used to pay for one anyway. Aaaand I planned to move my emails of course since it’s in the bundle.

          I’d gladly uplift people and advocate for progress on the privacy and security fronts, invite world+dog to join but I can’t do it now in this situation. Linux users being underserved is how I feel.

          Mandatory “I use Arch BTW” mention.

          • Dave@mastodon.world
            1·
            6 months ago

            @reallyzen Relunctantly, I have to agree, but we only know one side of this story. Companies tend not to reveal reasoning in any detail when defending themselves. Sometimes they even deliberately mislead. As a result, it’s not likely anyone will *know* how truthful any response would be - all we can do is ask the question.

  • KrapKake@lemmy.worldEnglish
    41·
    6 months ago

    I did that just this morning, when I saw the email for the survey the proton drive for Linux was my first thought.

  • GregorGizeh@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    I would be happy to, i also want to remind them to provide a themed android app icon for their mail. VPN has it, mail doesn’t, and it drives me crazy.

    You might want to provide a link to the survey right here though, I rooted through the video description and comments but no survey in sight.

  • Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.eeEnglish
    2·
    6 months ago

    I will do as you ask

    If yous manage even once to not invade a single thread about Windows with your smug, self-congratulary comments

    • ReallyZen@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      2·
      6 months ago

      Reconcile these two axioms:

      1. Every Lemmy out there is using (arch) linux exclusively, both at home and at work

      2. Every post on c/linux is about ditching windows very soon and choosing the best linux distribution

      That’s a Nobel Prize in (creative) mathematics right here!

  • li10@feddit.ukEnglish
    43·
    6 months ago

    Just completed the survey and asked for it.

    I also asked for a search alternative, like what Kagi offers. Would be a great addition to their services imo, but I doubt they could pull it off given how slow their development usually is.