Linux Identity Reset Tool

A comprehensive bash script for Linux systems that resets system fingerprints, cleans application traces, and provides complete system identity randomization with full backup/restore capabilities.

🚀 Features

Complete System Identity Reset: Changes machine ID, hostname, and MAC addresses
Application Cleanup: Removes Cursor/VS Code configurations and traces
Safety First: Comprehensive backup system with one-command restore
Dual-Boot Safe: Smart MAC randomization options that won't affect Windows
Dry-Run Mode: Preview all changes before execution
Root Privilege Management: Smart detection and handling of sudo requirements
Browser Data Cleanup: Clears Firefox, Chrome, and other browser traces
History Cleaning: Removes shell command histories
Network Identity: Multiple MAC randomization options (temporary/permanent)

📋 Prerequisites

Linux system (tested on Kali Linux)
sudo privileges for system-level changes
macchanger (automatically installed if missing for permanent MAC changes)
systemd (for hostname management)

🔧 Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/lancedesk/linux-identity-reset-tool.git
cd linux-identity-reset-tool

Make the script executable:
```
chmod +x reset_machine.sh
```

🎯 Usage

Basic Commands

# Preview changes without making them (RECOMMENDED FIRST)
./reset_machine.sh --dry-run

# Interactive mode with confirmations
./reset_machine.sh

# Run with root privileges for full system changes
sudo ./reset_machine.sh

# Restore original system state
./reset_machine.sh undo

# Show help
./reset_machine.sh --help

Example Workflow

First, see what would change:
```
./reset_machine.sh --dry-run
```
Run the reset:
```
sudo ./reset_machine.sh
```
If needed, restore everything:
```
sudo ./reset_machine.sh undo
```

⚠️ IMPORTANT: Dual-Boot Systems

Critical Information for Dual-Boot Users

If you have a dual-boot system with Windows and Linux, please read this carefully:

The MAC Address Problem

MAC address changes affect BOTH operating systems because they modify the physical network adapter at the hardware level. This can cause serious issues in Windows:

High CPU usage from "Service Host" processes
Network configuration loops as Windows tries to reconfigure the "new" adapter
Excessive fan noise due to CPU load
Network connectivity problems
Windows Update failures and service disruptions

If Windows Is Already Affected

If you already ran the script and Windows is experiencing high CPU usage:

Option A: Restore in Linux

sudo ./reset_machine.sh undo

Option B: Fix in Windows

Open Device Manager (Win + X → Device Manager)
Expand "Network adapters"
Right-click your adapter → Properties
Go to "Advanced" tab
Find "Network Address" or "Locally Administered Address"
Select "Not Present" or delete the value
Click OK and reboot

Option C: Restore hardware MAC in Linux

# Replace eth0 with your interface name (check with: ip link show)
sudo macchanger -p eth0
sudo reboot

What Changes Are Safe for Dual-Boot?

✅ Safe changes (Linux-only):

Machine ID (/etc/machine-id)
D-Bus machine ID
Hostname changes
Cursor/VS Code cleanup
Browser data cleanup
Shell history cleanup

⚠️ Affects both systems:

Permanent MAC address changes

📊 What Gets Changed

System Identifiers

/etc/machine-id - System machine identifier
/var/lib/dbus/machine-id - D-Bus machine identifier
hostname and /etc/hostname - System hostname
/etc/hosts - Updated to prevent "unable to resolve host" errors
MAC addresses (optional - see dual-boot warnings)

Application Data

~/.cursor - Cursor editor configurations
~/.vscode - VS Code configurations
~/.config/Cursor - Cursor app data
~/.config/Code - VS Code app data
Browser caches and profiles
Shell command histories

Generated Changes

New hostname: Random format like host-a1b2c3d4
New MAC addresses: Optional - temporary or permanent
New machine IDs: Fresh system identifiers
Clean histories: Cleared bash/zsh command histories

🔒 Safety Features

Comprehensive Backup

The script creates a detailed backup file (~/.fingerprint_reset_backup) containing:

Original hostname and /etc/hostname
Original /etc/hosts entry for hostname resolution
Original machine ID and D-Bus machine ID
MAC addresses for all network interfaces
Timestamp and system information

Privilege Checking

Detects if running as root or with sudo access
Provides clear error messages for insufficient privileges
Suggests using --dry-run for testing without privileges

Dry-Run Mode

Shows exactly what files would be deleted
Previews all system changes before execution
Safe testing without making any modifications

MAC Randomization Options

Skip: No MAC changes (safest for dual-boot)
Temporary: Changes revert on reboot
Permanent: Persistent changes (dual-boot warning displayed)

📖 Command Line Options

Option	Description
`--dry-run`	Preview changes without executing them
`--help`	Display usage information
`undo`	Restore system from backup
(no args)	Run in interactive mode

🎨 Sample Output

Before Reset

=== Current System Fingerprints ===
Machine ID: fff172744a6245cda94e6dd013bf4753
Hostname: old-hostname
MAC Addresses:
  14:58:d0:03:3f:4a
  10:4a:7d:bc:51:ec

After Reset

=== New Fingerprints ===
Machine ID: 75bf9b225da2448bed95504168cc2a8b
Hostname: host-c44e08l0
MAC Addresses:
  26:19:c8:3c:65:02  (temporary - reverts on reboot)
  de:61:87:b9:20:e7  (temporary - reverts on reboot)

💡 Best Practices

For Dual-Boot Systems

Always run --dry-run first to see what will change
Choose "Skip" for MAC randomization when prompted
Keep a backup of important configuration files
Test on a non-critical system first if possible

For Single-Boot Linux Systems

Run --dry-run to preview changes
Use permanent MAC changes if needed
Reboot after reset for full effect
Keep the backup file safe for undo operations

General Recommendations

Backup important data before running the script
Run during a maintenance window if possible
Have physical access to the machine in case of network issues
Document your original settings for reference

⚠️ Important Notes

Post-Reset Actions

Reboot recommended after running the script
Some changes may require a fresh terminal session
Network connections may need to be re-established
On dual-boot: Test both operating systems after changes

Backup File Location

User mode: $HOME/.fingerprint_reset_backup
Root mode: /root/.fingerprint_reset_backup
Each reset overwrites the previous backup

Network Interfaces

Only non-loopback interfaces are modified
Interface names are auto-detected (eth0, wlan0, etc.)
Original MAC addresses are backed up for restoration
Temporary MACs automatically revert on reboot

🛡️ Use Cases

Privacy Enhancement: Change system fingerprints for privacy
Development Testing: Test software behavior with different system IDs
Virtualization: Reset VM fingerprints after cloning
Security Research: Legitimate penetration testing scenarios
System Administration: Clean slate after system deployment
Dual-Boot Privacy: Separate identities per OS (skip MAC changes)

🔧 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"Sudo privileges required"

Run with sudo ./reset_machine.sh
Or use --dry-run to preview without privileges

"Unable to resolve host" error after hostname change

This is now automatically fixed by the script
/etc/hosts is updated automatically
If you see this, you may be using an old version

"No backup found"

Backup is only created when running fingerprint reset
Each reset overwrites the previous backup

"macchanger not found"

Script automatically installs it for permanent MAC changes
Manual install: sudo apt-get install macchanger
Not needed for temporary MAC changes

High CPU in Windows after running script

You used permanent MAC changes on a dual-boot system
See "If Windows Is Already Affected" section above
Run ./reset_machine.sh undo or restore in Windows Device Manager

Temporary MAC changes not working

Ensure you have ip command available (part of iproute2)
Check network interface names with ip link show
Some interfaces may require driver-specific commands

Recovery

If something goes wrong, you can always restore:

sudo ./reset_machine.sh undo

🔄 Version History

Latest Version

✅ Fixed /etc/hosts update to prevent hostname resolution errors
✅ Added dual-boot safe MAC randomization options
✅ Added temporary MAC changes (session-only)
✅ Enhanced backup to include /etc/hosts entries
✅ Improved restore functionality for dual-boot systems
✅ Added comprehensive dual-boot warnings and guidance

📝 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributing

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
Open a Pull Request

⚠️ Disclaimer

This tool is intended for legitimate system administration, privacy enhancement, and security research purposes. Users are responsible for ensuring their use complies with applicable laws and organizational policies. The authors are not responsible for any misuse of this software.

Dual-Boot Warning: MAC address changes affect all operating systems on the same hardware. Always understand the implications before making permanent changes.

📞 Support

Issues: GitHub Issues
Discussions: GitHub Discussions

🌟 Acknowledgments

Built for Linux system administrators and privacy-conscious users
Tested primarily on Kali Linux
Compatible with most systemd-based distributions
Community feedback helped improve dual-boot safety

⭐ If this tool helped you, please consider starring the repository!

🔔 For dual-boot users: Always choose "Skip" or "Temporary" MAC randomization to avoid issues!

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 6 Commits
.gitignore		.gitignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
reset_machine.sh		reset_machine.sh

License

lancedesk/linux-identity-reset-tool

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