This is gonna be a bit long, but I'm just posting this in case it helps give others direction or understanding.
10 months ago I signed up to this forum to get some insight as to what type of computer to buy to get Linux installed on, and advice on which distro to choose. I ended up settling on a Dell Inspiron 7472 14-inch laptop.
Specs: Intel Core i5-8250u CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, 14” 1080p screen (non-touch), Ethernet port, HDMI, SD Card slot. I picked it up for $300 CAD, and installed Linux Mint after watching many a video on its usability.
My main concern was privacy. I got tired of throw away windows machines bogging down every 3 years, so I got a Chromebook. I later realized that for all the convenience Google offers I was trading any and all privacy I ever had.
So, 10 months ago I set up the computer, no personal info on it, and I was trying to set it up with no link to my identity. I wasn't sure if I was going to use it for searching and use the Chromebook for anything tied to my name, or how I was going to get it sorted. I had no idea of what to expect for privacy. If I could log into accounts I had used on the Chromebook, or signed up to with old emails, or if I would link myself to all the info I had freely handed out over the years and have all my efforts be for nothing.
To avoid that I tried setting up privacy based browsers, but I had no idea if my bookmarks would allow for browser fingerprinting. Most of the browsers I was trying wouldn't store passwords, so with no passwords or bookmarks using the new computer was not enjoyable. I got really busy last summer and pretty well shelved the entire project. I only used it for Gimp and Inkscape on occasion.
Last month I found the time to dig in again, and it took some time to clarify, but forum members helped me realize you can not expect to be anonymous online. There is no way to be completely private. Trying to set things up that way will lead to something you will never use, or you will be deluding yourself of a much more private experience than you can ever get.
Last year I had set up the drives to automatically write programs to the SSD and store docs and media to the HDD. All I had to do was figure out how to set up the user experience. I ended up installing Brave browser, Librewolf, Palemoon, Firefox, and others. After working through them all I have finally settled on TOR as my main browser. I have imported all my bookmarks. I went with TOR browser because I am using Surfshark VPN. You can check your IP and DNS info on their site and TOR is the only browser that is completely randomizing and spoofing my IP, DNS, location, etc. With ad/tracker blockers and other privacy features you are getting a pretty private browsing experience. Not anonymous by any means, but you are not just giving up your searches and allowing all your activity to be followed across the web. I have not had any issue with crashing or functionality, so it is winning on lots of levels.
I installed Keepass for password management. All info is stored on the computer and can be backed up however you prefer. You simply log in and then any site you visit you just need to copy and paste your credentials. I have been meaning to get a password file going so all my info was organized, safe, and in one place. Keeppass does that and I feel more organized and in control of that info than ever before.
Having gotten to this stage Linux is now my daily driver, and given some time I will be installing it on the Chromebook once I have my Google files downloaded and can close my google account.
I set a proton email account which does not require any personal info to sign up. I am using this as my new sign up account, but have not found a way to get my old junk @live mail account accessible
because they want phone number verification to sign in on Tor browser and won't allow a proton mail account to be used as backup verification. So basically they won't let me access without verifying my identity and linking it to this computer. I've just started changing log in info over to proton and will likely just delete it once I have moved away from it. I have installed Thunderbird for accessing my other emails easily.
I think for other things that are going to be an issue with logging in on a TOR browser like banking or Amazon, I will set up Brave browser. Where I am tied to the accounts with personal info and credit cards anyway I won't be trying to keep my activity private and I can keep all that info in one browser, but I think for everything else, generic searches, forums, etc. I am going to use TOR for all.
I am using Freetube for videos. It gives you access to Youtube videos without a login, or tracked views and you can still subscribe to accounts to follow new content.
So all in all I continuing on as I always have, but I have no google login, I have no Youtube login, I have no Google or Microsoft account connected to my every action on the computer and when I write a document or email, I am no longer giving Google a copy first.
The operating system is WAY faster. Reboots take seconds. Opening programs is super quick and general usage with mint is very familiar and easy. The only real difference is the terminal. It is a completely different language and I do not understand it at all. I am capable of using it though because there are great tutorials for anything you are trying to accomplish.
I am a complete convert. I enjoy using Linux, I love having my privacy back. I think my next effort is going to be figuring out if a degoogled phone is a functional option.
I hope this might give someone in my shoes 10 months ago some direction and focus.
Thanks to everyone here that helped walk me through it all.
10 months ago I signed up to this forum to get some insight as to what type of computer to buy to get Linux installed on, and advice on which distro to choose. I ended up settling on a Dell Inspiron 7472 14-inch laptop.
Specs: Intel Core i5-8250u CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD + 1TB HDD, 14” 1080p screen (non-touch), Ethernet port, HDMI, SD Card slot. I picked it up for $300 CAD, and installed Linux Mint after watching many a video on its usability.
My main concern was privacy. I got tired of throw away windows machines bogging down every 3 years, so I got a Chromebook. I later realized that for all the convenience Google offers I was trading any and all privacy I ever had.
So, 10 months ago I set up the computer, no personal info on it, and I was trying to set it up with no link to my identity. I wasn't sure if I was going to use it for searching and use the Chromebook for anything tied to my name, or how I was going to get it sorted. I had no idea of what to expect for privacy. If I could log into accounts I had used on the Chromebook, or signed up to with old emails, or if I would link myself to all the info I had freely handed out over the years and have all my efforts be for nothing.
To avoid that I tried setting up privacy based browsers, but I had no idea if my bookmarks would allow for browser fingerprinting. Most of the browsers I was trying wouldn't store passwords, so with no passwords or bookmarks using the new computer was not enjoyable. I got really busy last summer and pretty well shelved the entire project. I only used it for Gimp and Inkscape on occasion.
Last month I found the time to dig in again, and it took some time to clarify, but forum members helped me realize you can not expect to be anonymous online. There is no way to be completely private. Trying to set things up that way will lead to something you will never use, or you will be deluding yourself of a much more private experience than you can ever get.
Last year I had set up the drives to automatically write programs to the SSD and store docs and media to the HDD. All I had to do was figure out how to set up the user experience. I ended up installing Brave browser, Librewolf, Palemoon, Firefox, and others. After working through them all I have finally settled on TOR as my main browser. I have imported all my bookmarks. I went with TOR browser because I am using Surfshark VPN. You can check your IP and DNS info on their site and TOR is the only browser that is completely randomizing and spoofing my IP, DNS, location, etc. With ad/tracker blockers and other privacy features you are getting a pretty private browsing experience. Not anonymous by any means, but you are not just giving up your searches and allowing all your activity to be followed across the web. I have not had any issue with crashing or functionality, so it is winning on lots of levels.
I installed Keepass for password management. All info is stored on the computer and can be backed up however you prefer. You simply log in and then any site you visit you just need to copy and paste your credentials. I have been meaning to get a password file going so all my info was organized, safe, and in one place. Keeppass does that and I feel more organized and in control of that info than ever before.
Having gotten to this stage Linux is now my daily driver, and given some time I will be installing it on the Chromebook once I have my Google files downloaded and can close my google account.
I set a proton email account which does not require any personal info to sign up. I am using this as my new sign up account, but have not found a way to get my old junk @live mail account accessible
because they want phone number verification to sign in on Tor browser and won't allow a proton mail account to be used as backup verification. So basically they won't let me access without verifying my identity and linking it to this computer. I've just started changing log in info over to proton and will likely just delete it once I have moved away from it. I have installed Thunderbird for accessing my other emails easily.
I think for other things that are going to be an issue with logging in on a TOR browser like banking or Amazon, I will set up Brave browser. Where I am tied to the accounts with personal info and credit cards anyway I won't be trying to keep my activity private and I can keep all that info in one browser, but I think for everything else, generic searches, forums, etc. I am going to use TOR for all.
I am using Freetube for videos. It gives you access to Youtube videos without a login, or tracked views and you can still subscribe to accounts to follow new content.
So all in all I continuing on as I always have, but I have no google login, I have no Youtube login, I have no Google or Microsoft account connected to my every action on the computer and when I write a document or email, I am no longer giving Google a copy first.
The operating system is WAY faster. Reboots take seconds. Opening programs is super quick and general usage with mint is very familiar and easy. The only real difference is the terminal. It is a completely different language and I do not understand it at all. I am capable of using it though because there are great tutorials for anything you are trying to accomplish.
I am a complete convert. I enjoy using Linux, I love having my privacy back. I think my next effort is going to be figuring out if a degoogled phone is a functional option.
I hope this might give someone in my shoes 10 months ago some direction and focus.
Thanks to everyone here that helped walk me through it all.