Solved Recommendations for Linux distributions for privacy/pseudonymity

[ozfbu]

What started me on my journey to Linux was a desire for privacy
However, it's a complicated field. Starting from first base...

Objective: A Linux distribution to act as the base OS on my machine, off of which VMs will be run (compartmentalisation, isolation). Privacy and psuedonymity are the keys

Threats: Tracking, casual government surveillance (from Fourteen Eyes - mods, this is the one point where I'm intending to be political, so please tell me if I can better word this), censorship

Additional considerations: I would like to be able to game on this machine at the end of the day

Please can y'all provide your recommendations for Linux distributions for my purposes, and your reasons why?

[I don't understand enough about how TailsOS or Qubes work to know if they'll be suitable. I do know that, by being on an open-source OS (OS OS?) such as Linux, I'm moving in the right direction ]

{and please also tell me if I'm in the wrong sub-forum - and move this thread if that's possible!}

 

[Brickwizard]

First question What is the kit you will be using [make and full Model please]

 

[ozfbu]

First question What is the kit you will be using [make and full Model please]

A...computer?
With motherboard and hard drives (>5TB storage) and graphic card. Desktop, not laptop

I am sorry; I do not understand what you are asking for. Please can you clarify for me?

 

[kc1di]

He is asking for the model or spec of your machine. It would be hard to recommend something without understanding what the machine is.

 

[ozfbu]

Ah. Desktop machine, custom build

 

[dos2unix]

Generally, your browser and the way you use it.. matters a lot more than the distro.

 

[Brickwizard]

Desktop machine, custom build

so new spc stuff. Look at
MX-AHS works well with newer kit, leaning towards business a little more secure than most
Parrot HOME edition derived from Parotsec security [hacking] build includes some interesting add ons including Anonsurf
gaming is more down to what specification you build to, all fully fledged distributions will run games using Wine,Steam, Lutris & proton etc, SEE... https://www.turbogeek.co.uk/linux-gaming-in-2025-the-ultimate-guide/

 

[theLegionWithin]

Ah. Desktop machine, custom build

if you're using modern components (as in the last few years) then basically any distro will work for you. Tails or Whonix are privacy focused but I've found that distros that lean that way tend to be... not very user friendly. maybe give them a spin and see

I personally would recommend a more popular distro as there will be more documentation available and more folks who use it.

 

[CaffeineAddict]

Threats: Tracking, casual government surveillance (from Fourteen Eyes - mods, this is the one point where I'm intending to be political, so please tell me if I can better word this), censorship

Additional considerations: I would like to be able to game on this machine at the end of the day

You made a good thread by providing your thread model, many users fail to do this when asking such question so it makes their question impossible to answer adequately.

Rather than looking for a specific distribution depending on which you have to change your usage habits about how to use it effectively there is a better method..

You want apply some privacy and security measure to your OS, my recommendation some of which I use myself are as follows:

• Regarding VM, you want to use ti for web browsing as this way fingerprinting will be much more harder for governments and hostile websites that fingerprint their users.
• Regarding privacy you want to set up encrypted DNS, I use unbound specially configured to work with both host and guest in VM trough NAT in nftables.
• Regarding OS integrity I use aide which help to detect intrusion.
• For VM you want to use libvirt (virt-manager / QEMU/KVM) with openvswitch-switch for networking as this will allow you to route traffic and filter is with nftables instead of defalt iptables which don't work with VM due to being out of date and buggy with QEMU.
• You also want to setup NTPSec.
• Regarding software I suggest to pick up only those whitelisted on: https://prism-break.org/en/ (take a look at GNU/Linux section)
• You also want to invest solid amount into developing your own nftables firewall rather than using complete solution, this requires some practice and reading manuals.

This is what I can recall right now, there are more, such as minimal but useful browser extensions and settings.

If you can apply all this effectively, which requires some configuration and reading manuals you can turn your PC into a security fortress.

For more information here is additional link I highly suggest reading: https://www.eff.org/pages/surveillance-self-defense
There are few topics you should get familiar with.

If you use Debian system (which is btw. perfectly fine for gaming with Lutris and proton) there are few additional tools at your disposal, namely:

• debsecan
• debsums

If you want to go step further and be a guru I also suggest to monitor CVE reports and use security analysis tools against source code for software that you install.

These let you check your system for package integrity and CVE generation of the installed system.

 

[ozfbu]

Thank you all (caution dictates that I not confirm which OS I may or may not be using, but you've all been very helpful)

You made a good thread by providing your thread model

Not my own thought; another location recommended a threat model!

What is "ti for browsing" please? A web search for "ti browser" doesn't get me anything immediately relevant...

 

[KGIII]

caution dictates that I not confirm which OS I may or may not be using

That's not really a security issue. All the major distros, and those based on them, will have similar kernels and similar software. If there's a security problem in one of them, it's likely in all of them. Knowing your distro can change the answer to support questions, however.