Hey 👋 dear Linux Community,

I’m still kinda new to Linux (started using this year 😅) 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! 🤍

#privacy #dataprotection #linux #linuxmint #opensource #foss #cybersecurity @linux

  • Random Dent@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    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.

    • jlow (he/him)@beehaw.org
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      11 months ago

      Yeah, I actually rolled back my system after a borked update with this a few weeks ago, worked like a charm 👍

  • diamat@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    If you are looking for UI inspiration, you could give !unixporn@lemmy.ml 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.

  • jivandabeast@lemmy.browntown.dev
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    11 months ago

    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)

  • const_void@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    We need a sticky for these questions. “recommend me a distro” posts are getting really old.

  • Fizz@lemmy.nz
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    11 months ago

    Does mint ship a kde plasma variation? I find that UI to be more modern than cinnamon