SourceForge starts bundling adware with downloads

[Arthur]

Source: Ghacks

 

If you have been downloading programs from SourceForge in the last days, you may have noticed that some do not provide you with direct downloads of the programs anymore. Instead, you download something called SourceForge Installer which bundles the software with third party offers used for monetization.

 

This is in fact similar to how some download portals are offering downloads right now. Programs like FileZilla or Hotspot Shield have joined SourceForge's DevShare program which is currently in beta. It aims to offer a new funding option for Open Source projects.

 

While that is a legitimate cause, it at the same time puts the site into a shady corner of the Internet right next to other illustrious sites such as Download.com. The core difference here is that on SourceForge, software developers profit from the inclusion, while they do not profit at all from it on third party download sites.

 

http://i.imgur.com/arlKXjO.png

 

http://i.imgur.com/e2l74Is.png

 

How to bypass the SourceForge Installer

If you prefer to install the program without installer included, you can do so at least for some projects. Click on the browse all files link underneath the big green download link on the project's homepage on the SourceForge website.

 

You need to browse to the folder containing the last version of the application, which can be done with a couple of clicks.

 

Now, the main Windows download leads to the SourceForge Installer even though it is not displayed here. But there may be another download. For FileZilla, that is a zip download of the application that you can download as well.

 

http://i.imgur.com/EFRU9kk.png

Edited July 17, 2013 by Arthur

[synaesthesia]

At least they give you a choice. Cnet is absolutely diabolical, and I've started to avoid softpedia too (although they don't help themselves with a lottery of download links, only one is the software, the rest is crap)

 

My favourites (sarcastically of course) are the once useful bits of software who bundle this crap in their installers if you like it or not.

"Would you like to install Babylon toolbar? ACCEPT/DECLINE"

No? Perhaps you'd like the Yahoo toolbar instead "ACCEPT/DECLINE"

Ah, ok no. Do you not want to install Norton Security Check then? "ACCEPT/DECLINE" "omg, what the HELL do I choose here?"

"Perhaps you'd like to inst*CANCEL*"

Edited July 18, 2013 by synaesthesia

[MatthewL]

Glad its not just me noticing it, was downloading something the other day and had a right battle to find one without the Ask toolbar.

[Guest Guest]

At least they give you a choice. Cnet is absolutely diabolical, and I've started to avoid softpedia too (although they don't help themselves with a lottery of download links, only one is the software, the rest is crap)

 

My favourites (sarcastically of course) are the once useful bits of software who bundle this crap in their installers if you like it or not.

"Would you like to install Babylon toolbar? ACCEPT/DECLINE"

No? Perhaps you'd like the Yahoo toolbar instead "ACCEPT/DECLINE"

Ah, ok no. Do you not want to install Norton Security Check then? "ACCEPT/DECLINE" "omg, what the HELL do I choose here?"

"Perhaps you'd like to inst*CANCEL*"

 

 

Yep. Super (video convertor) is like that now. Had to install and use it remotely the other day on my work PC. Result of being rushed and doing it at 10pm is my work PC has junk on it now - grr!

[Arthur]

GIMP flees SourceForge over dodgy ads and installer « The Register

 

The Gnu Image Manipulation Program, a popular and free Photoshop alternative that glories in the name “The GIMP”, has decided it can no longer permit itself to be downloaded from SourceForge.

 

The application's developers announced their decision here, arguing that SourceForge provides a user experience it can no longer support.

 

“In the past few months, we have received some complaints about the site where the GIMP installers for the Microsoft Windows platforms are hosted,” the developers write.

 

“SourceForge, once a useful and trustworthy place to develop and host FLOSS applications, has faced a problem with the ads they allow on their sites - the green 'Download here' buttons that appear on many, many adds leading to all kinds of unwanted utilities have been spotted there as well.”

 

The ads weren't The GIMP devs' only beef, as they were willing to tolerate them until SourceForge's new Windows installer came along. As the devs note, that tool “... bundles third-party offers with Free Software packages. We do not want to support this kind of behavior, and have thus decided to abandon SourceForge.”

[MatthewL]

They have been doing it for months on SourceForge took me ages to realise and notice the two links. I only wanted FileZilla at the time.

[rich_tech]

I hate this practise with a passion, time and time again you tire of simple software downloads becoming a trawl where you have to watch what sh*t programs try to install when you use them.

 

Most of the sites doing this have been mentioned, but I was suprised in SourceForge, I genuinely didn't think that they would go down this route.

[pcstru]

Yep. Super (video convertor) is like that now. Had to install and use it remotely the other day on my work PC. Result of being rushed and doing it at 10pm is my work PC has junk on it now - grr!

 

A clean VM running on a snapshot is your friend.

[synaesthesia]

It's a really bad practice. I complained at Softpedia about it a while ago (they are by far the worst for the fake download links all over their page) and got told "it's obvious which is the right one"

Morons, only thing that's important to them is advertising revenue. Thought Sourceforge were different. Nup.

[unixman_again]

Gimp are now hosting their own downloads because of this. GIMP flees SourceForge over dodgy ads and installer

[Arthur]

Gimp are now hosting their own downloads because of this.

See post #6