glocker
Covenant Eyes is probably the best-known accountability software, and many people in recovery rely on it. It takes screenshots on your device and uses image recognition to estimate which ones might contain pornography. The images are blurred on the device before upload, and a report goes to an ally you’ve chosen. It also blocks explicit domains and supports your own block and allow lists. Having another person involved is the point, and I think it’s the right idea.
Where it falls short on Linux
It doesn’t run on Linux: the company’s own site says it can’t support Linux computers at this time, and its pricing page lists Linux as not covered. So a Linux machine is the one place with no report and no ally. The model also depends on pictures of your screen reaching someone else’s servers, and I can’t find published source code to check how that’s handled.
How glocker helps
I built glocker for my own Linux machines. It starts from blocking and adds accountability on top.
- It blocks. Sites go into
/etc/hosts, including large public blocklists, and listed programs are killed during their windows. Force-installed extensions for Firefox and Chrome block by keyword in addresses and page text, so content on sites you never listed can be caught too. - It’s hard to switch off. During the hours you choose,
sudois restricted on Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Omarchy and their close derivatives. Uninstalling asks for a reason and a typing challenge. - It tells someone if it goes quiet. With the hosted dashboard, your partner gets an email if the machine stops reporting. The server sends this, so killing glocker doesn’t stop it.
- It keeps your screen private. There are no screenshots. Your partner gets a regular summary of blocked-keyword hits, temporary unblocks and how long protection was off, and your usage data is encrypted on your machine before it syncs.
- You can read the code. All of it is open source under the AGPL.
Side by side
| Covenant Eyes | glocker | |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Not supported | Built for it |
| How it monitors | Blurred screenshots, image recognition | Focused window, keyword and rule hits |
| What your partner gets | Report with blurred screenshots, alerts | Counts, alerts, a warning if it goes quiet |
| Blocks sites | Explicit domains, custom lists | Public blocklists, your lists on a schedule, keywords |
| Blocks programs | Not its focus | Yes, on a schedule |
| Resists being turned off | Your ally is told | sudo window, slow uninstall, partner is told |
| Data on the server | Blurred screenshots | Encrypted records; timestamps and counts stay readable |
| Source code | None that I can find | AGPL |
| Price | $18 a month or $198 a year, up to 10 people | $10 a month or $99 a year |
Prices are from each product’s site in November 2026. glocker’s blocking and dashboard are free if you run them yourself, and partner emails are part of the hosted plan.
Recommendation
If you already use Covenant Eyes on your phone or other computers, keep it there. For your Linux machine, use glocker if you want blocking that’s hard to undo and a partner who hears when it stops, without passing them images of your screen. Blocking websites on Linux covers the wider set of options, including Accountable2You.