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How to Block Flash Cookies on Linux with a Shell Script and Cron

Posted Sun, 12/13/2009 - 22:02 by Josh

Flash cookies or "LSOs" are a way that websites track you even after you clear your privacy settings. Click here to view Flash cookies stored on your computer.

(NOTE: There is a simpler way to delete Flash cookies, by installing this Firefox extension, but it wouldn't install on my computer.)

Some websites won't let you view their content if you totally block Flash cookies (for example, chmod 000 ~/.macromedia/Flash_Player/#SharedObjects). One solution for Linux users is to have a shell script delete your Flash cookies every 30 minutes or so with cron.

Create a new text file at ~/bin/flash_cookies with the following content:

#!/bin/sh

# deletes all Flash cookies
# repeat with cron

# remove cookies
rm -rf ~/.macromedia/Flash_Player/#SharedObjects/*
rm -rf ~/.macromedia/Flash_Player/macromedia.com/support/flashplayer/sys/*

Then open a terminal and type chmod +x ~/bin/flash_cookies to make the file executable.

Then type crontab -e to setup a cron job. Add a line similar to the following:

*/30 * * * * ~/bin/flash_cookies

The flash cookie deleting shell script will then run at the specified interval, protecting your privacy across browsing sessions.

This tutorial was written for Ubuntu-based versions of Linux. If using a different type of Linux, the instructions might vary slightly.

Have tips for blocking Flash cookies? Please leave a comment below.