this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2023
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Privacy
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ok ill give linux a try then but is there a certain version of linux you would suggest? one person suggest mint btw. if i go with Linux do i need a vpn or am i good without one?
You need VPN to hide your traffic from your internet provider, your OS will not help with that. Use Mullvad, nothing else.
If you want more secure OS, that will respect your privacy, your only options are Linux or BSD. If you only have experience with Windows, go with Linux Mint. Keep in mind that it is a fork of Ubuntu, so guides and packages for Ubuntu will work for Mint almost always.
Mint is more suited for newcomers.
AirVPN is better option for torrenting since Mullvad stopped offering port forwarding.
The topic is privacy, torrents are not very private to begin with, and Mullvad uses disk-less servers and you can pay with cash.
I use Ubuntu Budgie and that works perfect for me, but I hear Mint is good for beginners too.
And if you live in the US, always use a VPN when torrenting. But if you live in a country where you know no one will give a shit about you downloading a movie, then have at it.
In terms of digital security best practices, though, you should pretty much always use a VPN anyway. And follow this guide if you feel like you do need a VPN when torrenting.
Mint was designed to be easy for windows users. Learn some stuff about the package manager (software manager for GUI, and either apt or apt-get) and you should be alright. Fyi Linux Mint is basically Ubuntu (but with some good changes) so find what Ubuntu version you are running (using
cat /etc/upstream-release/lsb-releasein the terminal) and thats what software is compatable. I'd avoid full drive encryption because Timeshift (system snapshot app) doesn't work with ZFS drive partitions.Also configure UFW (firewall service).