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submitted 2 years ago by chockblock@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

For my phone, I use Graphene OS. What would be the best desktop Linux option to match the level of security and privacy that GOS provides?

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[-] mojo@lemm.ee 17 points 2 years ago

Pretty much any distro that isn't Ubuntu. Are you asking for privacy or security? Those are very different.

For security, I'd stick to more complete distros like Fedora instead of more diy distros like NixOS or Arch. They're great to learn and tinker with, but distros like Fedora have security experts adding mitigations and security stuff in the distro by default, whereas most users of Arch or something would have to manually look up those things and keep up to date on the latest security. So basically, none of them lol.

Using more hardcore security distros like QubesOS is not very realistic as a daily driver. You'll see Linux nerds name drop it and claim they know what they're talking about, but none of them will actually dailt drive it because it's a very painful experience. Just stick with flatpaks as much as you can for pretty solid security.

[-] gobbling871@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

What security stuff/mitigations are added on Fedora that are not on Ubuntu?

[-] I_like_cats@lemmy.one 8 points 2 years ago

Ubuntu is bad privacy-wise because it has opt-out telemetry. The telemetry is not very invasive though and I wouldn't really call it a privacy risk. There are other reasons to prefer other distros over Ubuntu though

[-] gobbling871@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago

Not making a case for Ubuntu but even Fedora has opt-out telemetry.

[-] I_like_cats@lemmy.one 5 points 2 years ago

You're right. This only counts users though whereas Ubuntu collects information about your system

[-] RecursiveDescent@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Looks like they do add quite a bit security features. Having SELinux installed and working out of the box being the biggest. https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Security_Features

[-] gobbling871@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

My question is simple: Which of these security features are not enabled/present in Ubuntu that give Fedora an advantage?

SELinux has a functional equivalent called Apparmor that is also enabled out of the box in most distros.

[-] mojo@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago

Selinux is more secure then app armor, but more difficult to use. Ubuntu is also pretty secure, I'm just not as familiar with it. I mentioned it for the privacy but, since it used to have some Amazon bloat crapped bundled and telemetry built in.

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[-] Shareni@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

I think they meant privacy. Windonical doesn't have a good track record on that front...

[-] gobbling871@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Nope. GP explicitly mentioned security experts that Fedora employs and other security stuff that Fedora apparently has an advantage on over other distros. I wonder if they knew in particular what these advantages are because that got me curious.

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago

Read their comment again. The first paragraph is about privacy and Ubuntu is only mentioned at that point. Fedora's default security is only compared to nix and arch.

[-] gobbling871@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

I used Ubuntu as an example for argument's sake not as a defence for Ubuntu's privacy/security features.

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[-] ManyRoads@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 2 years ago

If you look through this thread, you may notice that almost everything is biased towards personal preference(s). I recommend you research for those aspects of security AND privacy that interest you and select the tools, distros that you prefer. The beauty of Linux lies in its variety. Use what pleases you and serves your needs.

[-] marmalade@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Depends on what you mean for security/privacy. You can use Tails or whatever and have everything encrypted and then just be logging into your Facebook account on Chrome without an ad blocker.

Most Linux distros are secure enough for the average person who isn’t being targeted by some crazy state level actor. If you’re particularly concerned stick with a distro that has a security team like Debian. As for privacy that has more to do with the sites you browse and have accounts with but obviously avoid Google (I just use Firefox instead of Chrome) use an adblocker like ublock origin, along with maybe something like decentraleyes.

[-] Synthead@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago

Chrome phones home a lot. It's not a good idea to use it if you care about privacy. Firefox even has metrics enabled by default, although you can turn them off.

[-] HughJanus@lemmy.ml 6 points 2 years ago

Tails, Qubes, or Whonix

[-] StimulatedYorkie@lemmy.ml 5 points 2 years ago

Nix OS, Guix or Vanilla OS for sandboxing I guess. But basically everything but Ubuntu is pretty good for privacy, it’s a big part of free software philosophy.

[-] authed@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 years ago

Qubes on Whonix

[-] radioactiveradio@lemm.ee 3 points 2 years ago

Try Tails, you don't even gotta install it. Keep it on a flash drive and just plug it into your computer whenever you wanna use it.

[-] Hizeh@hizeh.com 2 points 2 years ago

How does Void Linux rate on the security and privacy front compared to the top recommendations in this thread?

[-] Titou@feddit.de 2 points 2 years ago
[-] Aman9das@rammy.site 1 points 2 years ago

Anything that's not made in china

Ubuntu Mint Fedora are all good to go

[-] CjkOvPDwQW@lemmy.pt 8 points 2 years ago

Anything thats not made in America.

What kind of point is that ? Are there any problem with chinese distro ?

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 7 points 2 years ago

Chinese distros have backdoors for the Chinese government, intel and amd processors have backdoors for the US government

[-] CjkOvPDwQW@lemmy.pt 3 points 2 years ago

Are there any proof of that ? (Chinese distros having backdoors).

[-] the666dude@mastodon.social 3 points 2 years ago

@CjkOvPDwQW @Shareni
I would not trust a CIA backed Linux distro either, proof or not.

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I don't know of any specific proof, but just look at Deepin's EULA. You need to accept that pretty much all data that could be gathered will be gathered, even data like daily log in times. Stuff like that makes me believe stories that the CCP is forcing companies to add backdoors. Especially when you consider that Chinese hackers are analyzing and publishing findings on NSA Linux backdoors, and releasing new backdoor malware every few months.

[-] CjkOvPDwQW@lemmy.pt 2 points 2 years ago

So just a conspiracy theory then

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago

Sure buddy. In the meanwhile i think i answered your question:

What kind of point is that ? Are there any problem with chinese distro ?

[-] CjkOvPDwQW@lemmy.pt 1 points 2 years ago

Yeah, but from having an eula to having a backdoor goes a long way

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence, and so on. But yeah, I agree it's just a conspiracy theory for now

[-] CjkOvPDwQW@lemmy.pt 2 points 2 years ago

Most sane conversation I had online in a while.

On reddit thjs conversation would have been impossible

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago

Doubt everything, know that you know nothing

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[-] 0therbit5@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 years ago

Really? About Intel and AMD, how? I'm just curious about that.

[-] Shareni@programming.dev 2 points 2 years ago

Read up on the intel management engine. It's an extra chip that was included in pretty much every intel CPU since 2008. It's got pretty scary potential, but no alphabet agency has yet declassified their info on it (think CIA denying any involvement in shipping and selling heroin, but then declassifying documents that proved they shipped heroin in coffins and bodies of dead soldiers).

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[-] lunicoDee@feddit.it 1 points 2 years ago

The best for privacy are: Tails, that runs on live-cd; Whonix, which you run in vms; Qubes, which is an os that runs all your user programs inside vms (running whonix inside qubes is the most powerful privacy setup).

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this post was submitted on 04 Jul 2023
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Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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