Linux Users: To Switch or No?

[SolidParticipant 7520]

coolthingy450 wrote:

And a recent one. This guy even used Ubuntu as a main Os, but had to go elsewhere due to unstable set up of that os.

Linux mint however I don’t know for sure If it’s a good system to recommend. It’s a mixed bag with that one.

I give a try to ubuntu in the 8 and 9 version. I get angry because “apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y” basically means that your system won’t boot again.

I don’t know how ubuntu is today, but unity is far from something that I would use as a WM, too heavy, i3, dwm and awesome are my choices, more productive and almost no resource consumption.

I just installed arch once, but I’m curious to test it, I use Debian, which have the opposite goal, “forget about the most recent packages, let’s just release old ones in stable, and not so old in backport”.

[KingOfTheSeaParticipant 1270]

@Blackagar Boltagon- You and I will have to have a discussion about BB sometime; I love the early FF stuff. Some of the first comics I would dig into when I first started reading.

I’m thinking Mate. I still haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Tried Ubuntu but wasn’t terribly impressed. I’ll be messing around on it a little more, but I think Mint will be my next attempt.

coolthingy450 wrote:

Linux mint however I don’t know for sure If it’s a good system to recommend. It’s a mixed bag with that one.

I’m going to give it a go, as I mentioned. You mentioned your use of Arch; probably too advanced for me as a first-time Linux user, isn’t it?

The other recommendation I’ve been getting is Manjaro, so I might check that out after Mint.

[DeltchParticipant 36]

For anyone who is scared of Windows 10 spying on you, use this:

DoNotSpy10 1.2.0.1

If you don’t know what the things on the list mean, I’d suggest you google them.

KingOfTheSea wrote:

@Blackagar Boltagon- You and I will have to have a discussion about BB sometime; I love the early FF stuff. Some of the first comics I would dig into when I first started reading.

I’m thinking Mate. I still haven’t pulled the trigger yet. Tried Ubuntu but wasn’t terribly impressed. I’ll be messing around on it a little more, but I think Mint will be my next attempt.

coolthingy450 wrote:

Linux mint however I don’t know for sure If it’s a good system to recommend. It’s a mixed bag with that one.

I’m going to give it a go, as I mentioned. You mentioned your use of Arch; probably too advanced for me as a first-time Linux user, isn’t it?

The other recommendation I’ve been getting is Manjaro, so I might check that out after Mint.

For anyone looking to actually try out Linux for the first time, I’d recommend starting with either Linux Mint (mostly because its very Windows-like), or Manjaro (Gnome edition, if you want to try something new).

Otherwise, if you want to fully build your own system from the ground up, Arch Linux is very fun to work with and a good OS to learn off of.

[Blackagar BoltagonParticipant 64]

I would be happy to discuss comics with you at anytime. The early FF stuff is some of the best comics ever created because of Jack Kirby. Also, if you are unaware, it was recently announced by Marvel that in September 2017 “Marvel’s The Inhumans” will be coming to TV featuring the Inhuman royal family as the main characters.

As far as choosing what Linux would be best for you, it is all about your usage needs. As coolthingy points out, we all have different needs. Thankfully Linux has MANY, many options to choose from. In my experience, Linux Mint is the best choice for new people making the transition from Windows or MacOS. This is based on helping many people and organizations transition away from Windows.

I would recommend a good way to get started is to take out a sheet of paper and realistically list the things you need to get done on your computer in order of importance. The next step is to list out your hardware. If your hardware is older, you are going to need to choose a lightweight option (older than a core2duo) such as XFCE, if your hardware is relatively new, you will be able to choose any of the options based on what fits your needs best. From there, you can do a little research to find Linux equivalent software for your needs. For example Microsoft Office>Libre Office.

Then find a distro that looks like it will fit your needs, and download the Live ISO image and burn it to disk or load it onto a usb stick. Boot from it and play around with it to see how it fits your needs. If everything looks good, and works on your hardware….you can then pull the trigger and install.

If you have any problems, your first resource is a google search. Don’t be afraid to ask questions on Linux forums, as most of the time it is easy to get friendly help from fellow members of the community.

You can always hit me up here and I would be happy to help if I can.

Speak softly, strike accurately and hit with the force of a thermonuclear bomb

[MagusParticipant 424]

I live in vi. My todo list is a text file that gets syncd to my cell phone via dropbox. If I want a spreadsheet I call it from within vi, same thing with browsers, everything. I don’t play games though. I had to pay for scanning software that works with my fujitsu scanner. Printers work fine though. Basically if you prune the proprietary stuff from your life you can be super happy with linux. However many people need proprietary stuff. They’ve got to run VR headsets with dedicated rooms and that needs windows. My plate is full just trying to do what matters so I don’t have time for that stuff.

[Y_Participant 4591]

I use Unix OpenBSD open source on SPARC 64 – still think it is the most security savvy s~~~ out there. For paranoid users like me. I’ve been using this for over 15 years. Check it out.

https://www.openbsd.org/
Developer The OpenBSD Project
OS family Unix-like (BSD)
Working state Current
Source model Open-source
Initial release 1 October 1996; 20 years ago
Latest release 6.0 (1 September 2016; 3 months ago)
Package manager OpenBSD package tools
Platforms Alpha, x86-64, ARMv7, PA-RISC, IA-32, LANDISK, Omron LUNA-88K, MIPS64, PowerPC, and SPARC 64
Kernel type Monolithic
Userland BSD
User interface Modified pdksh, FVWM X11
License BSD, ISC, ATU and other custom

Al command line – the way I like it.
Downside – requires effort to maintain hardware and software compatibility.
Upside – best security ever.
You can add Samba and run Apache as well.

[Y_Participant 4591]

Thanks Deitch
I have had it with all Windows snooping – they’ve been doing it since DOS days and it’s only getting worse.

Am only using Win 7 for new games because I have to and that’s about it. For legacy games I still run Win NT – probably the best thing MS have done for PC.

Anything else I can do on Unix.

[The Missing ManSpectator 342]

KingOfTheSea wrote:

Currently using Windows. Getting really tired of their s~~~ being buggy all the time. I’m considering making the switch, but I wanted to get some insight. Brother’s a Linux user and he loves it, but he says there is a learning curve. Thoughts?

Look into making a dual boot machine.

[TylerDurdenParticipant 27]

Hi, I should say I am a developer and sysadmin which started with Linux in 1995 (I used extensively Slackware, RedHat, Debian, CentOS, Mint, etc) but if you consider to switch just because Windows “being buggy all the time” please do not.

It’s not only the learning curve, is about suffering new whole levels of frustration. Because sooner or later you must use command line. And you will hate it, believe me.

Is you switch to Linux, do it with a specific purpose. Otherwise you will invest a lot of time and energy. Do you know that quote “Now you have two problems”?

[Frank V.Participant 2445]

I switched to Linux for a few reasons:

1 Windows 8 was awful and frustrating.
2 Some of the updates seemed to make my notebook run slow.
3 Crapware and being made to pay for a “clean” DVD of Windows.
4 I could no longer get WordStar to run on newer versions of Windows
5 Windows Licensing enforcement and the BSA can be worse than the mob.
6 Windows Update seems to take forever now, and almost always at the worst times. If I shut it off, I tend to forget.

I had seen a number of top tier companies run Linux and Unix, and knew they often had great results. Switching always has costs in time, effort and/or money, there is no way around it. But I also knew these companies often got a good payback on that investment.

Then to push me over the edge, I was visiting “IT-Guy”, an electronics and computer tech I have known for years. We both where running the same brand and similar model of laptop with the only difference being the better processor in mine.

When I saw his laptop kept up with or ran faster than mine, I wanted to know his secret. Turns out it was Linux.

Now, for the last few years since I paid him to install it and teach me about it, I could not be happier with it.

Crazy to pay for Linux ? No, I paid for someone to help me change over fast. And here is what I got for it.

1 Never had to worry about having Windows 10 crammed down my throat, like two coworkers did.
2 “joestar’ is a perfect clone of WordStar in nondocument mode free and legal.
3 No Crapware and some things run faster, like PDFs
4 Not had to reinstall it ever.
5 Never having an update force me to stop working. It asks me if I want to do it now or later and ask me again after the update if I want to reboot later, if it needs to. Updates also seem much faster.
6 Hard Copy on DVD ? No Problem.

I use my notebook on the road for work, and I need it to work. I

must

have a decent office suite, good Word Processing software and from time to time a good graphics program. Well, I got all that now and it is more reliable as well as a little faster and more consistent.

As far as “Office” is concerned, I switched to Libre Office before I switched to Linux because I did not like the ribbon interface in MS Office. Compatibility with MS Office is at the point where I have not had to reboot into Windows 7 for MS Office in about a year.

Throw in all the games I got on my Atari 2600 emulator and I am a happy camper.

Is it for everyone ? No- especially if you game. But I am happy with it and don’t plan to switch back anytime soon. I am running Ubuntu Mate with a few changes by IT-Guy.

As for Windows 10, I have three coworkers who run it and the forced updates are a major pain in the ass when you have to drop what you are doing for a deadline or if you are forced to wait on bootup for it to complete.

Frank V.

[Frank V.Participant 2445]

TylerDurden wrote:

Is you switch to Linux, do it with a specific purpose. Otherwise you will invest a lot of time and energy. Do you know that quote “Now you have two problems”?

I switched to and swear by Linux, and I still have to agree with this.

Frank V.

[Frank V.Participant 2445]

The Missing Man wrote:

KingOfTheSea wrote:

Currently using Windows. Getting really tired of their s~~~ being buggy all the time. I’m considering making the switch, but I wanted to get some insight. Brother’s a Linux user and he loves it, but he says there is a learning curve. Thoughts?

Look into making a dual boot machine.
<iframe src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/nBD4KqH5CT8?feature=oembed” allowfullscreen=”” width=”500″ height=”281″ frameborder=”0″></iframe>

When I switched I kept Windows 7 along side with Linux so I could switch to MS Office in case Libre Office could not read something sent to me. So far I have not had to do that for a year. I have Windows Update and networking off on Windows 7.

Frank V.

[MasterAnglerParticipant 42]

I use Ubuntu Mate 16.10 I dislike unity as well. It kicks ass I have all the software I ever wanted like Chrome, libre Office and Vlc player. Its setup up like Ubuntu before unity. Windows 10 is a no no in my book. I got a pc that came preloaded with it after watching a 45 min video on how to stop the spying crap the guy who made the video said updates can undo all the settings you change to prevent the spying. He then went on to say windows 10 can force updates. I said no thanks put Ubuntu Mate on it and never looked back. Mint is also a good choice! Forget you Microsoft! I say start with a dual boot. Windows now feels weird to me when I use other computers.

[StentorianParticipant 1690]

I have a question regarding how secure or private Linux is, compared to say something like Win10 which has really dangerous telemetry and keylogging tools.

Ubuntu has been criticized over Canonical’s parlor trick sending searches to Amazon. This has upset many in the community. So they now have disabled the feature, as a default.

But it has caused tremendous distrust in Ubuntu, or any Ubuntu derivatives. I tried Linux Mint using a live usb. Really liked the OS, the look and responsiveness of it. But prismbreak.org recommends that people avoid Ubuntu, and all Ubuntu derivatives.

https://prism-break.org/en/categories/windows/#operating-systems

This article explains what Canonical did regarding the searches being sent to Amazon.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-amazon-ads-and-data-leaks

And this one, is a discussion, where someone very strongly makes a case that all Ubuntu derivatives are to be avoided.

https://github.com/nylira/prism-break/issues/334

I would like to ask the more experienced users here, to please share some of your knowledge in either confirming or dismissing the issues around Ubuntu, and how unsafe any derivatives, like Linux Mint may be? As I really like Linux Mint. It is a great OS. But given the privacy concerns. I would steer clear if these were legitimate points.

Also, many people recommend Debian. Given their very strict and loyal adherence to the Social Code.

https://www.debian.org/social_contract

What I am trying to do, is get a sense from people who have used these distros, and can speak in real life terms, whether Debian OS is more trustworthy than Win10.

I have read quite a bit. And on paper, a company can make very large claims. But how does Debian or Fedora protect the user’s privacy? Do they store or keep logs of how you use their OS? Do Linux distros send telemetry as well?

I’m not trying to do anything particularly unique or cryptic. Just want to avoid being snooped on by my OS. I do not like the idea that my OS is compromised. Currently on Win 7 and will stay on it until support ends. I understand that Win 7 is not as bad as Win 10. But either way, MS is compromised.

So in an effort to make the transition over to Linux. I have spent a the last few weeks doing a lot of research. Trying different Linux distros. However, it is hard to know who is telling the truth from the articles I have read. Some claim Debian is really trustworthy. All of the FOSS points taken into consideration.

But how true any of that is, when compared to people who actually have used Debian, Fedora, or other more secure distros. That I am not sure of. Hence my post here.

Take this guy, who claims that all of the Linux distros are under the control of Red Hat. Which is basically government run.

The people who comment, seem to make very valid points.

Julian Assange: Debian Is Owned By The NSA

So with all of that in mind. Also taking into account that there must be a tonne of disinformation mixed in with truth.

I ask myself this question. That if things have reached a point, where something like Win 10 can be put out for mass consumption. Without any efforts to conceal that they are openly infringing on people’s privacy. MS owns 90% of the world’s computing market. GE owns MS. And we know who GE works for.

In a world, where everything is so closely monitored, is it possible that somehow Linux is exempt from all of this?

These people go to tremendous lengths to infiltrate and gain access to any systems that people use.

In my effort to move away from Win/MS spying. Would going to Linux, be any more secure, in real terms? Is it possible that Linux has somehow evaded these multi billion dollar programs and efforts aimed at compromising security?

Ubuntu, as shown by Canonical, tried to take the MS path. Got caught. Made some changes. But that does not mean they can be trusted. This puts Ubuntu derivatives in serious scrutiny.

On what merit can a user who is trying to move away from Win/MS and over to Linux, trust an OS like Debian? Does Debian engage in any form of snooping, that MS does? Red Hat is accused of being government owned. So Fedora is questionable.

I would appreciate some insight into this area. As I have reached the limit of how much I can gather on my own. Past this point, I would have to turn to people who have through their own experience, either worked with some Linux distros, or have a greater insight into which can be trusted and why?

What is stopping them, from saying one thing. But doing exactly the opposite, as in the case with Ubuntu/Canonical?

I understand that a person cannot avoid certain levels of visibility when using the net. I get that. So using something like a VPN would be a good option. But if the OS is compromised. Then all efforts, whether they are encryption or VPN tunneling are inneffective.

Encryption is reliable. But the end points must be secure. I can’t really know if someone is compromised on the other end. But using Win. I know for certain, that the OS, my endpoint is vulnerable.

Logical effort then is made to try to migrate towards a more secure OS. Enter Linux and the FOSS community. But what safeguards do they have, in terms of privacy? If a person uses Debian OS. What information, if any, is gathered by that OS and stored or sent to their servers?

These are the things I have been contemplating. Some help and feedback, would be greatly appreciated.

“He who takes an eel by the tail, or a woman at her word, soon finds he holds nothing.”

[TylerDurdenParticipant 27]

Stentorian wrote:

I have a question regarding how secure or private Linux is, compared to say something like Win10 which has really dangerous telemetry and keylogging tools.

Ubuntu has been criticized over Canonical’s parlor trick sending searches to Amazon. This has upset many in the community. So they now have disabled the feature, as a default.

But it has caused tremendous distrust in Ubuntu, or any Ubuntu derivatives. I tried Linux Mint using a live usb. Really liked the OS, the look and responsiveness of it. But prismbreak.org recommends that people avoid Ubuntu, and all Ubuntu derivatives.

https://prism-break.org/en/categories/windows/#operating-systems

This article explains what Canonical did regarding the searches being sent to Amazon.

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-amazon-ads-and-data-leaks

And this one, is a discussion, where someone very strongly makes a case that all Ubuntu derivatives are to be avoided.

https://github.com/nylira/prism-break/issues/334

I would like to ask the more experienced users here, to please share some of your knowledge in either confirming or dismissing the issues around Ubuntu, and how unsafe any derivatives, like Linux Mint may be? As I really like Linux Mint. It is a great OS. But given the privacy concerns. I would steer clear if these were legitimate points.

Also, many people recommend Debian. Given their very strict and loyal adherence to the Social Code.

https://www.debian.org/social_contract

What I am trying to do, is get a sense from people who have used these distros, and can speak in real life terms, whether Debian OS is more trustworthy than Win10.

I have read quite a bit. And on paper, a company can make very large claims. But how does Debian or Fedora protect the user’s privacy? Do they store or keep logs of how you use their OS? Do Linux distros send telemetry as well?

I’m not trying to do anything particularly unique or cryptic. Just want to avoid being snooped on by my OS. I do not like the idea that my OS is compromised. Currently on Win 7 and will stay on it until support ends. I understand that Win 7 is not as bad as Win 10. But either way, MS is compromised.

So in an effort to make the transition over to Linux. I have spent a the last few weeks doing a lot of research. Trying different Linux distros. However, it is hard to know who is telling the truth from the articles I have read. Some claim Debian is really trustworthy. All of the FOSS points taken into consideration.

But how true any of that is, when compared to people who actually have used Debian, Fedora, or other more secure distros. That I am not sure of. Hence my post here.

Take this guy, who claims that all of the Linux distros are under the control of Red Hat. Which is basically government run.

The people who comment, seem to make very valid points.

Julian Assange: Debian Is Owned By The NSA

So with all of that in mind. Also taking into account that there must be a tonne of disinformation mixed in with truth.

I ask myself this question. That if things have reached a point, where something like Win 10 can be put out for mass consumption. Without any efforts to conceal that they are openly infringing on people’s privacy. MS owns 90% of the world’s computing market. GE owns MS. And we know who GE works for.

In a world, where everything is so closely monitored, is it possible that somehow Linux is exempt from all of this?

These people go to tremendous lengths to infiltrate and gain access to any systems that people use.

In my effort to move away from Win/MS spying. Would going to Linux, be any more secure, in real terms? Is it possible that Linux has somehow evaded these multi billion dollar programs and efforts aimed at compromising security?

Ubuntu, as shown by Canonical, tried to take the MS path. Got caught. Made some changes. But that does not mean they can be trusted. This puts Ubuntu derivatives in serious scrutiny.

On what merit can a user who is trying to move away from Win/MS and over to Linux, trust an OS like Debian? Does Debian engage in any form of snooping, that MS does? Red Hat is accused of being government owned. So Fedora is questionable.

I would appreciate some insight into this area. As I have reached the limit of how much I can gather on my own. Past this point, I would have to turn to people who have through their own experience, either worked with some Linux distros, or have a greater insight into which can be trusted and why?

What is stopping them, from saying one thing. But doing exactly the opposite, as in the case with Ubuntu/Canonical?

I understand that a person cannot avoid certain levels of visibility when using the net. I get that. So using something like a VPN would be a good option. But if the OS is compromised. Then all efforts, whether they are encryption or VPN tunneling are inneffective.

Encryption is reliable. But the end points must be secure. I can’t really know if someone is compromised on the other end. But using Win. I know for certain, that the OS, my endpoint is vulnerable.

Logical effort then is made to try to migrate towards a more secure OS. Enter Linux and the FOSS community. But what safeguards do they have, in terms of privacy? If a person uses Debian OS. What information, if any, is gathered by that OS and stored or sent to their servers?

These are the things I have been contemplating. Some help and feedback, would be greatly appreciated.

The best thing to do, is to compile your own kernel understanding every bit out there. Yes, you need to understand how to develop kernel drivers, the module system, API conventions, debuggers and reverse-engineering tools. My guess is that would leave around 100 developers in the world.

There was a time where every kernel contributor was known by the community, now that time is over.

So, for all people out there worrying about OS privacy, you can do almost nothing about it. Agencies spent millions of U$D to backdoor tech. You want the latest toys, sure. You want to be in control, go and read all the manuals then you can build your own control.

[StentorianParticipant 1690]

TylerDurden wrote:

The best thing to do, is to compile your own kernel understanding every bit out there. Yes, you need to understand how to develop kernel drivers, the module system, API conventions, debuggers and reverse-engineering tools. My guess is that would leave around 100 developers in the world.

There was a time where every kernel contributor was known by the community, now that time is over.

So, for all people out there worrying about OS privacy, you can do almost nothing about it. Agencies spent millions of U$D to backdoor tech. You want the latest toys, sure. You want to be in control, go and read all the manuals then you can build your own control.

I would not have the skill level required, to pull of something like that.

I think those who setup Arch Linux or Gentoo, at least from what I understood, are able to achieve to some degree what you have described. As they assemble everything from ground up.

I am competent with computers. But not to that extent. Not by a long shot.

Instead, I thought to ask those who have a greater level of experience in these matters, with regards to Linux distros. To at least make a comparison between Linux and Win10 snooping. If Linux spied on their users, as Win 10 does?

If there are any reliable distors out there? For example Debian is praised for not including any code that they did not test, into their stable release. But they also are not adverse to hosting other repositories, which they did not test.

These are the questions I am asking, in an effort to find a more secure OS. If that even exists, in today’s digital landscape.

If a secure OS, is akin to a unicorn, well, then I guess we all have to accept certain levels of spying.

I was trying to mitigate this, by looking in the Linux direction. But thus far, have not found a concrete, go to distro.

Help or feedback from experienced Linux users, would certainly be appreciated.

Thanks for your insights TylerDurden.

I would like to dual boot Win with Linux, to use Win for apps and Linux perhaps for more secure browsing. But uncertain which distro can be trusted not to snoop on the user, just as Windows does.

“He who takes an eel by the tail, or a woman at her word, soon finds he holds nothing.”

[Anonymous 11]

I have to be in the Windows world due to market saturation. I’m at the literal bleeding edge of Microsoft tech. Yes, it’s buggier than it used to be. I run a Server 2016 and Windows 10 domain for myself. I literally cringe after every damn update like a whipped dog.

I’ve a decent PC that’ll soon be a Linux PC post migration after WinRot finally hobbled her after a Win7/Win8/Win8.1/Win10 upgrade hell it went through.

I’ll have fun integrating them all once its made Linux. It’s either that or pop the Win 10 Pro DVD into the drive. I don’t need another Windows PC. I’m open to distribution choice with twenty years of Linux under my belt. I’m chafing at the bit to get back into Linux.

[Anonymous 11]

Stentorian wrote:

Encryption is reliable. But the end points must be secure.

I assume the security agencies man-in-the-middle every known encryption protocol. The hardware they install at the various major nodes is serious s~~~. I can MTM https with my SOHO gear. What can they really do?

[StentorianParticipant 1690]

Ubuntu had the whole Amazon scandal. Canonical tried to play it off, as a revenue tactic. But they were using a keylogger. Which is identical in Win 10.

https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy

Searching in the dash

When you enter a search term into the dash Ubuntu will search your Ubuntu computer and will record the search terms locally. Depending on whether you have opted in or out (see the “Online Search” section below), we may also send your keystrokes as a search term to productsearch.ubuntu.com and selected third parties so that we may complement your search results with online search results from such third parties including: Facebook, Twitter, BBC and Amazon. Canonical and these selected third parties will collect your search terms and use them to provide you with search results while using Ubuntu.
By searching in the dash you consent to:

the collection and use of your search terms and IP address in this way; and
the storage of your search terms and IP address by Canonical and such selected third parties (if applicable).

Canonical will only use your search terms and IP address in accordance with this Privacy Policy. For information on how our selected third parties may use your information, please see their privacy policies.

You may restrict your dash so that we don’t send searches to third parties and you don’t receive online search results. To do this go to the Privacy panel and toggle the ’Include online search results’ option. The Privacy panel can be found in your System Settings or via a dash search. For a current list of our selected third parties, please see the third party privacy policies.

Linux Mint and other distros that run off of Ubuntu releases and repositories, are questionable at best.

The most central issue, is that the Linux world itself, has been compromised for a couple of decades now. Red Had is government sector. And they implement and control what other distros do.

What they have reported as bugs, are in fact back doors. But without admitting they are back doors. Using the excuse that it was a bug, removes any responsibility or blame to them, as is it passed off as an error. When in fact, it is not.

All in all. The idea that these higher agencies would go to tremendous lengths to backdoor every single other OS on the market. But somehow forget to hack into Linux, on some level. Is naive.

Systemd and SELinux, which was developed by the NSA. Their website clearly shows how much they have invested in Linux.

Here is a nice site, where it contains a video of Julian Assanage. Explaining how bugs are used, as a front for backdoor purposes. He cited Debian by name. And Debian claims to hold true to an Ethical Code.

The comments section in the bottom of this article, are quite deep. As they are mostly users who are either programmers, or advanced IT people. And they do a good job of confirmed the very high likelihood, that all of these “free” distros are put into effect by branches or government.

Julian Assange: Debian Is Owned By The NSA

It is hard to know who to trust.

SELinux is enabled in Fedora. Is installed in Debian and Mint, but not enabled by default. Same thing with systemd.

I had hoped to find a better alternative to using Windows. And Linux certainly promises this, on the surface. But if you research enough. You will find that companies like Canonical, via Ubuntu, and all Ubuntu derivatives. Carry great risk.

It is disappointing, but not surprising. These people are not stupid. They plan decades ahead. And when OS’s are created, they are swift to enter into the picture, and propose changes to be made in order to provide them the access they need.

“He who takes an eel by the tail, or a woman at her word, soon finds he holds nothing.”

[economistParticipant 225]

To be honest, The Linux kernel has been compromised since forever. Don’t believe me? Just google all of the backdoors in it. Sure, you could go through the kernel line by line and recompile it so that you could be 100% sure of its integrity, however then you have to deal with hardware backdoors. There are known backdoors in Intel chipsets that allow you to write instructions to the CMOS which is basically unavoidable. Honestly, the NSA is smarter and has more resources than you. if they want to get into your data, they can. Personally I would recommend staying away from kiddy porn, hitmen, and terrorism unless you want to get caught. They aren’t gonna bust down your door for saying you hate c~~~s or ordering drugs on the darkweb.

With that out of the way, using Linux comes down to what you need from an OS. A lot of people like to use it as a development platform because it’s stable and uses very little resources when configured correctly. Personally I use Windows 10 professional on my “fast” computer, A watercooled 6 core+big gpu+SSD beast that i recently spent over $2000 on, because i need the compatibility for autoCAD and other programs. However on my laptop which i use for messing around with Java and PHP i run Debian, because it’s old and Linux allows me to make best use of the resources. I wouldn’t recommend Linux to anyone who doesn’t have a good functional understanding of how computers work and who doesn’t mind spending several hours doing research and working in the command line interface every time you want to add a new bit of functionality.

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