So how can I as a new user make sure to have the most secure machine as possible?

• Always use uBlock Origin in a Firefox-based browser (e.g., LibreWolf, Zen).
• Never click on links in communication of any kind you didn’t expect or is too good to be true.
• Never reinstall Windows.

⚜ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

Anything that touches greed-incentivizing cr*ptocurrencies turns to shit. Use Matrix, XMPP, or Tox instead.

✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

Either:

1. A smarter and wiser population able to discern and care enough that they’re being cucked by Microsoft, overcoming the inertia to install Linux.
2. Linux invents a game/feature that is so goddamn appealing that everyone wants in on the action.
3. Preinstallation.

Avoid Bluesky.

“When asked if Bluesky would always be free of advertisers like it is today, Graber said: “I don’t think that’s necessarily true.”” —https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/05/bluesky-ceo-jay-graber-is-reshaping-social-media-but-advertising-isnt-off-the-table/

✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

Yes.

Changed my mind. Thanks.

You be the judge and reviewer ;)
I recognize it by name but I haven’t tested it or anything.

PS My list wasn’t meant to be exhaustive, sorry for the wrong impression. I’m sure there are great other Android browsers.

Brave’s a bunch of marketing/advertising driven crypto"currency" i.e., pyramid scheme peddlers desperate for greater fools.
↳ “Kill yourself.” —Bill Hicks.

On a computer either use uBlock Origin-included LibreWolf for stability and privacy, Zen browser for power users, and on Android one can use Fennec; all of them Firefox derivatives.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

but at least on Reddit there is more actual human content

You’ve been bamboozled by AI bots. Want more activity on whatever website? Be the activity.
That being said, some Lemmy instances left me a bad taste as well due to toxic replies. However, so far, Beehaw has been smooth sailing.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

…weird. I don’t understand why drop-down terminals are a thing? I can bring up Konsole with a hotkey too, only it just opens a window instead fo doing a fancy animation. That’s such a tiny part of its functionality that I can’t imagine how ‘drop-down’ became a descriptor for a terminal instead of just a bullet point on a feature list somewhere, much less a whole-ass category of terminals, lol.

But, fair enough.

Totally agree that objectively it’s a tiny part. However, for one, I’𝗆 simply used to it because that how terminals behave in games, and two, because terminals with drop-down as a feature were the only ones that introduced me to a one-button hotkey, just like in a game.

Surprised that there’s so few drop-down terminals being mentioned; I use Tilda but I guess they are all fine as long as they work on one’s distro config. It’s so handy to always have the console locked and loaded invisibly, but toggled by the press of a button.

AutoKey automation / word expander tool.

• I reconfigure ALT + i/j/k/l to ↑←↓→ globally, and more similar shortcuts.
• It expands abbreviations of one’s choice like “gCo” to git commit -m '
• One can assign scripts to abbreviations and hotkeys. E.g., when I press CTRL + Shift + [ it surrounds the selected text with a tag:

text_selected = clipboard.get_selection()
text_input = dialog.input_dialog(title="Wrap with a tag.", message="E.g., type cite to get <cite>x</cite>.", default="")
keyboard.send_key("<delete>")
clipboard.fill_clipboard(f"<{text_input[1]}>{text_selected}</{text_input[1]}>")
keyboard.send_keys("<ctrl>+v")

I’m likely not even harnessing AutoKey’s full capabilities and it’s already absolutely indispensable for being a huge time-saver and annoyance reducer.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

You mean Qalculate, right? If so, I agree.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

I don’t know whether I put too much weight on this, but the lack of English proficiency in a developer rubs me the wrong way. I had already stopped using Ventoy and reinstalled the machines where I used it on, and this makes me glad I did.

“Can you use dd to create multiboot USB drives?”

No. But in my case that’s just a minor inconvenience considering the infrequency of having to use a live USB. And at work I just use separate USBs for wiping drives and OS installs. I much prefer the peace of mind that comes with knowing there’s no Ventoy blob that could potentially infect all its installed operating systems with malware.

In any case, it seems it is possible to manually make a multiboot USB drive manually. Haven’t tried it yet though.

“Even the link you shared lists Ventoy as an option.”

I know. I simply linked that website because it’s where I learned dd from and because for novices it might be less overwhelming than the Arch Wiki.

Got over my laziness
dd will do
stopped using Ventoy
suggesting others to do so too.

It’s good, and it’s funny. So much so that I’m jealous.
With this potential critical mass combined with the gaming community it’s all downhill for Windoze from here.

PS How to force Steam games in Linux to use an Nvidia GPU, because games might unknowingly perform needlessly bad.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

It’s good, and it’s funny. So much so that I’m jealous.
With this potential critical mass combined with the gaming community it’s all downhill for Windoze from here.

PS How to force Steam games in Linux to use an Nvidia GPU, because games might unknowingly perform needlessly bad.

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✍︎ arscyni.cc: modernity ∝ nature.

Exploited is accurate. But I’d personally wouldn’t call Western countries “developing” to avoid ambiguity. Exploiting/exploited packs more punch and is unambiguous.

Imperial core countries causing climate change because of greed. The climate changes first in developing countries because of physics. The citizens of said developing countries flee to imperial core countries because of self-preservation. Imperial core citizens mad at fleeing citizens because of ignorance.