Prey - ArchWiki

# Prey

Prey is a set of bash scripts that helps you track your computer when it is stolen.

This guide shows you how to install Prey.

This article or section needs expansion.

Reason: This article only describes the outdated package prey-tracker. It should contain a section for the new package, prey-node-client, that replaces the old one. (Discuss)

## Installation

Install prey-tracker from the AUR.

## Configuration

Note: It is no longer possible to add new devices using the control panel on Prey's website. Use the Node.js client or the GUI.

Edit `/usr/share/prey/config` and add your device key and API key, both of which are listed in Prey's control panel.

Run `/usr/share/prey/prey.sh` as root to ensure that the configuration is correct.

Note: The old version of prey-tracker ( < 0.5.9-3) was in `/usr/share/prey-tracker/` folder, now (>0.5.10-2) it is in `/usr/share/prey/`.

Enable systemd service prey-tracker to automatically start Prey at boot `# systemctl enable prey-tracker.timer`

### Modules

To enable/disable modules, you must change the executable permissions for the the "run" files in prey's respective modules/core subdirectories. Adding executable permissions to a module will enable it, while removing permissions will disable the module.

### GUI config

You can use a GUI to configure prey using the `prey-config` script:

    # /usr/share/prey/platform/linux/prey-config.py

Note that if this doesn't work call it by using python2 specifically:

    # python2 /usr/share/prey/platform/linux/prey-config.py

### Standalone Mode

The GUI can be used to configure standalone mode.

Alternatively, `/usr/share/prey/config` can be edited to change `post_method` to `email` and edit the SMTP settings.

Note that in Standalone Mode, all modules in `/usr/share/prey/modules` run by default. To disable them, remove executable permissions on the module's `run` file (located within the module's `core` subdirectory). For example, the following command disables the `alarm` module:

    # chmod -x /usr/share/prey/modules/alarm/core/run

### Troubleshooting

To troubleshoot, run

    # /usr/share/prey/prey.sh --check

Ensure you have enabled systemd service prey-tracker.service and prey-tracker.timer to start Prey at boot.

If you're not receiving webcam images in you reports, install xawtv from the official repositories.

#### Beeping

If scrot is installed, prey will use it to take a screenshot if the `session` module is enabled. Unfortunately, scrot emits an annoying beep everytime it is run. To disable beeping, append `xset -b` to the beginning of `/usr/share/prey/modules/session/core/run`.

### Bugs

There seems to be a bug in version 0.5.3 which gives an error if the SMTP password is set when using "email" post_method, which returns an error, but works fine when executed normally without the --check option.

Categories:

- Networking
- Security