Hey ๐ dear Linux Community,
Hey ๐ dear Linux Community,
Hey ๐ dear Linux Community,
I'm still kinda new to Linux (started using this year ๐ ) I already made it to my main OS, even if I still missing some things which I used on Windows, anyway. What I wanted to ask you guys, what recommendations do you have for Linux Mint (Cinnamon)? In terms of security, optimization, (a way to make the UI looking modern ;-;) and privacy? I would be very interested in what you do guys to optimize your Linux setup :) I'm pretty technical, so there is nothing which could overwhelm me (probaly).
Thx! ๐ค
#privacy #dataprotection #linux #linuxmint #opensource #foss #cybersecurity @linux
Install timeshift for auto backups, its a systemsaver.
In terms of security, IMO just using Linux, having a regular firewall setup and using common sense online and not clicking on anything overtly sketchy probably puts you in ahead of 90% of people on the internet lol. I'm also quite partial to running OpenSnitch just to make sure nothing's connecting to the internet without my say-so.
For privacy, I think it depends on your threat model but for the average person I'd say a VPN of some sort and mainly just being cautious about how much personal info you post on social media will cover a big chunk of it. Maybe a more privacy conscious email provider like Proton or Tuta over something like Gmail would help too, but none of that is strictly a Linux thing.
Kind of boring answers, sorry! But IMO the boring fundamentals do tend to cover the majority of stuff. Also there are places like privacyguides.org if you want to rabbit-hole it, but be warned that you might end up becoming one of those people who only goes on onion sites and pays for everything with Monero lol.
Also no idea about customizing Cinnamon, apologies.
@CrabAndBroom Thank you, but I already covered this ๐ When you check my profile, you will see thats exactly the stuff I'm dealing with day by day, but ty! I may will take a look at OpenSnitch, but I think Portmaster is already covering this need.
Won't OpenSnitch add delay to your trafic?
Yeah, but the delay is minimal. I'm sure you wouldn't notice.
If you are looking for UI inspiration, you could give [email protected] or its counterpart at reddit r/unixporn a look. As a linux novice you might be interested in the KDE,XFCE or GNOME customizations that are shared in these communities.
Hi there! Looks like you linked to a Lemmy community using a URL instead of its name, which doesn't work well for people on different instances. Try fixing it like this: [email protected]
TBH, from a privacy perspective you're probably already pretty set -- if you wanted to be more cautious you could use disk encryption, ensure that things are a bit locked down (ssh key only auth, firewalls, or find a guide on hardening like this for ex). In terms of your UI, it really depends on what you're looking for, personally I find GNOME to be the best looking when compared to ease of use but when i made my first switch I started on i3 (but that would be Sway these days for Wayland) and never looked back.
My advice would be to get familiar with Linux as a whole first and then start tweaking things like your UI. It can be overwhelming to get used to the terminal commands (which btw are not necessary but I would heavily recommend as it can make things a LOT easier) and other weird Linux things (software installation, gaming, customization, etc)
Welcome!
I like a lot of the answers youโve been getting so far, but I also wanted to add my 2ยข.
Iโve been using Linux 2005. Iโve done some distrohopping in my time, but have I also settled into Linux Mint (Cinnamon). My system says it was installed in 2019, but I think Iโve been pretty much exclusively on Mint since ~2015/2016 after #! stopped being developed.
IMHO, you donโt have to do much customizing. I will never insult someone who wants more security but unless youโre running a server directly exposed to the web, I think the defaults and keeping your install up to date is enough. For the most part, privacy has to do more with the individual apps you run and once again comes down to personal preference.
Linux Mint is relatively lean, so optimization isnโt really necessary (I know some people will exclaim they can get a leaner setup by building up from a minimal install, and while theyโre technically correct, I have no complaints with LM on a 12yo Thinkpad x201).
As for a โmodernโ UI, Iโm not sure what exactly youโre looking for. I know on Reddit there were a bunch of distrohopping subs and other subs to share your desktop setup/customizations. Those were a good source of inspiration for me. I donโt know if there are some communities like that on lemmy. Personally, I just use the Mint-L-Dark theme, change my background, and use Conky. You can change the theme, use Desklets and Applets, or even use an alternative dock. However, I would recommend if you want to do much more than that, you should just try to another distro thatโs designed with the DE, customizations you want. While you can run KDE/Gnome/etc on Linux Mint, the experience can be a bit rough. If, after trying out multiple distros, you find none quite fit your needs, you can choose the one that is closest and customize from there. Or, you can install a minimal/server build and work up from there (though that can also be painful, since youโre almost making your own distro).
Hello!
i really like the look of KDE, though it's having a version upgrade right now (kde5->6) so you might encounter some bugs when it gets done.
Does mint ship a kde plasma variation? I find that UI to be more modern than cinnamon
Not anymore
That's only partially an answer. While there's not a KDE specific release it can still be installed and used on the other versions.
Regarding the UI and the look and feel, I can highly recommend catppuccin as a theme in basically whatever you want. I use it on Mint Cinnamon as well, and find it very good looking!
Hi Linux user :) It makes some sense to define your threat model first.. That can save time and make things clear for yourself. For example, are you using a desktop computer that you will never take outside and are you living at the 13th floor ? Or do you have a laptop that you take with you every day ? In the latter case it may make sense to look at disk encryption. A nice toy to play with some security and privacy things on Linux is Tails.. Tails is also an easy way to show friends, family and colleagues some security and privacy features of Linux on a small pen drive, or to carry a few files safely with you.
@MuffinJets @linux Oh sorry, forgot to mention it, I'm using Cinnamon since I liked it the most
@voxel @linux idk, turn on a firewall and run a clamav scan once in awhile. I know that linux malware is pretty rare, but I think it doesn't hurt to run a scan. Of course you could do some hardening, but for a new user I'd say do this at your own risk. https://madaidans-insecurities.github.io/guides/linux-hardening.html
@[email protected] @[email protected]
If you're still in the experimental phase, jumping between distress, I'm pretty partial to ElementaryOS - but haven't used it in a few years. It was the GOAT back in the early days, though, for a pretty and consistent UI.
@voxel @linux I do little or nothing to optimize Cinnamon beyond looking at the Startup Applications to see if there's anything I don't need.
Linux Mint's newest release is very nice, with Cinnamon at version 6.04. It's showing the benefits of refining an existing product rather than layering on new features. (If you use touchpad gestures, the new configuration options are useful.)
Fedora's Cinnamon spin is also excellent, if you prefer something other than Mint's Ubuntu-based product.
I'm pretty happy with Linux Mint so far, never tried Fedora, but I will take a look on it
If you use touchpad gestures, the new configuration options are useful.
Where can I find them?
We need a sticky for these questions. "recommend me a distro" posts are getting really old.
@const_void It's not about choosing distros in anyway, please read the post before you comment. ๐
A tiling window manager and tmux. I don't like window decorations, I think they're a waste of precious screen real estate. And tmux... Well. It's like pringles.
For Privacy and Security: I personally chose to switch back to Windows and wait for either redoxos or spectrum-os to mature.
You can also try QubesOS, but for me it just started to bootloop.
Otherwise:
Use webapps, install as few things as possible.
For Privacy and Security: I personally chose to switch back to Windows
Ah, Microsoft Windowsโข, the OS known for its excellent privacy and security.
In it, there aren't any viruses or malware that could infect your computer. It uses an amazing package manager, Microsoft Store, which contains all necessary apps, meaning you won't have to install any insecure software manually ever again. Unlike that OS for nerds, Linux, which has tracking and ads everywhere so hackers can hack your bank account.
The best operating system is Microsoft Windowsโข, known for being modern, and not having any old GUIs mixed with the new ones for extra inconsistency. It overhauls everything while having perfect backwards compatibility that works 95.36743% of the time!
I don't have the Money for MacOS, am too much of a Poweruser for ChromeOS/Android and have too much of a real life for OpenBSD
So yes, MS is the most secure Option available.
And that's not my Opinion. That's the Opinion of serious cybersecurity Experts such as Daniel Micay, the founder of GrapheneOS. He literally called it "years behind on exploit mitigation" and calls Windows more secure.
And he's not alone. He is joined by Madaidan, a Contributor to Tails, a security-and-privacy-focused Distro, who says you shouldn't use (persistent) Linux unless it's QubesOS.
And once you read all that, suddenly the Telemetry of Windows seems like much less of an Issue.
Linux has major Security Issues, there's no debating that.
The only thing we achieve with Denial is making sure these Issues will never get the Attention they deserve and as such will never get fixed.
/rant over
Security is somewhat debatable, but privacy-wise, nothing beats open-source operating systems (Linux/BSD/AOSP).
I'm sorry, i already put way too much Effort into these Replies to retype it all, so I'm going to have to redirect you to them.
regarding Security:
https://lemmy.world/comment/6804263
https://lemmy.world/comment/6808955
please put your thougts on these in the Comments below the respective Comment, to keep it all organized and grouped :)
regarding Privacy:
Yes, Linux definitely has a lot less Telemetry. But: I would argue that without Security you can't have Privacy.
I would rather give MS their Telemetry than risk a random Attacker getting Access to my entire Computer and all the Data on it.
But "can you have Privacy without Security?" is kind of a Philosophical Question and heavily depends on subjective Definitions of what Privacy is to you, so I don't think we'll reach an Agreement there.