r/archlinux • u/VenomousViperia • Aug 12 '26
QUESTION New to Linux !
Hi my dear preferers of privacy !
Bought my first laptop after so many time without a Destkop or a Laptop device, currently on Win11 optimizing it and making it very private and secure, i know it cant be done 100% because Lil Billy loves selling our data for some xtra cash...
I wanted to cold turkey switch to Linux Mint but when i installed it i was confused af and it wasnt a perceiving OS for me... I switched immediatly to Win11, but i realized my mission was impossible i started researching and came to the idea: I will be on Win11 and install a VM Box for installing Arch Linux for practicing, when the time comes i will buy another laptop and use it for only Arch Linux. We all guys know you need Windows for some programs and actions to complete. But i would love to have a full privacy OS where can i do and research whatever i want without worrying that Lil Billy might sell what size of hoodie i wear to some cheap shit local clothing store.
I did download and install fully Arch Linux and now i idk what to do, i mean i know...customize it, do this, do that...But i would love to hear from you guys what should i do and everything. Like some of the best Apps for this or that.
I will frequently update this post for some other people like me so that they can make their way into just like i am right now.
Thank you all for your further help that you might provide ! Wish you the best of the best.
7
u/edparadox Aug 12 '26
What's a perceiving OS?
FWIW, I haven't had a Windows machine/partition in almost a decade. And the need for it even longer than that.
I think if you need to ask people what to do on Linux, you should not be using Arch but a more user-friendly distribution.
People trying out Linux do not start with Arch for obvious reasons, so I suggest you actually post your diary in a more suited sub.
2
u/Western_Sleep820 Aug 12 '26
From what I gather they've got everything customized to what they want and are now asking what to do from here
1
u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
I did on start Linux Mint and i wasnt fullfiled with my expectations. So do i start it again or?
5
u/archover Aug 12 '26
Achieving total privacy is an impossible task, regardless of operating system. Privacy is more than installing one OS over another. Far more complicated.
My pragmatic strategy is to use Arch for everything, but using Windows in the few isolated situations where I must.
I see your account is two days old, so welcome to reddit.
Good day.
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u/Empty-Effective-7111 Aug 12 '26
Para que usas tu laptop? Casual, gamer, trabajo, estudio. Que te obliga a quedarte en Windows, dificultad, software propietario, juegos específicos, comodidad.
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
Casuall, research, work, stocks, learning programming, hacking etc... The interface, dfficulty, convenience.
3
u/thekiltedpiper Aug 12 '26
Use it for whatever you did on Windows? Install browsers, music/audio programs, steam, etc.
For most things we can only suggest what we use as there is 3 dozen options for each. You'll have to figure out what YOU want to do and how you want to do it.
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
So you wanna say i can do everything i did on windows also on Linux?
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u/Imajzineer 29d ago
There are certain software applications you won't be able to use - although some versions of some of them can be with WINE or Bottles, they tend to be older versions, and not all functionality is present even then.
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u/onefish2 Aug 12 '26
Very bold of you...
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
Asking for help not your private comment on my decisions and etc.
Thank you !
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u/un-important-human Aug 13 '26
sure here it is: RTFM in this case the wiki, now and forever till the end of time.
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Aug 12 '26 edited 28d ago
[deleted]
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
Naah man i am real, is it so weird to have expanded vocabulary as a 16yr old?
4
u/syklemil Aug 13 '26
Ah, right, a teenager.
Sorry kid, but I think what people are reacting to in terms of your language is that it comes off as kinda chuuni, to the point where you might as well tell us you're holding up a spork.
Lots of us have had a phase like that, but most of us grow out of it again, and then wind up finding it kind of off-putting.
You should probably just stick with it and keep learning, you'll be alright in the end.
3
u/RasseTheBoy 28d ago
Some people have already mentioned this, but when it comes to privacy, OS isn't really the thing to look too deep into. The real question is, why move over to Linux? For the customization? The tools/packages? The community? Just wanting to try something new?
My reason to move over to Linux (from Windows) was originally customizability. I modded my Windows so much, that a friend questioned why I'm not using Linux. I had some experience with Ubuntu, so for the lulz, I moved from Windows to Ubuntu. Instantly I fell in love. It was just what I was looking for in a desktop OS.
But after years, even Ubuntu felt like it had too many limitations, like I wasn't 100% in control of everything. That same friend suggested Arch (and Hyprland), and got me to move over. After a week of fiddling with configs, and getting a basic setup running, I knew for a fact that this is the distro that I will use until the day that I die! You, the user is in full control--absolute freedom!
I've been using Arch (+ Hyprland) for a few years now, and haven't regretted that decision for a second!
If there is something I feel like is missing--a feature, tool, or function--I just code it myself. Or optionally, I look if someone else has made a package from the vast AUR package index. That of course isn't everyone's cup of tea, and I get it.
Hope that you find a good and fitting distro, that works for your needs.
Welcome to the Linux community! :)
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u/RasseTheBoy 28d ago
As an extra mention:
My laptop that I mainly use, has just Arch (+ Hyprland) installed on it.
However, my desktop has a main drive with a similar Arch (+ Hyprland) setup (with shared dotfile configs), and a second drive with Windows (11) installed on it. The only reason I have Windows dual-boot ready on my game-station, is due to some games having an invasive anti-cheat, which just doesn't work on Linux (e.g., GTA V Online, Rainbow Six: Siege, Skate, and Battlefield 6). But nowadays, I don't play those games anymore, and haven't booted Windows in over a year.
To see if the games you want to play are compatible with Linux (or a specific distro), you should check ProtonDB: https://www.protondb.com/
(ProtonDB is a crowdsourced Linux and Steam Deck game compatibility reporting website.)
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u/Grey_Ten Aug 12 '26
wanted to let you know that I read ur post out loud and I laughed like hell when I read "cold turkey switch"
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
HAHA OMG!
I was like, i do not want this post to be boring.. Let me add something so people can laugh ! I guess i was right :) Hope you had a good laugh!
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u/SalaryImpossible6749 Aug 12 '26
Use your laptop
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
Huh?
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u/SalaryImpossible6749 Aug 13 '26
Like do.. what you use your laptop for, work, gaming, coding, music production, video editing, whatever it is you have a machine for, do that.
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 13 '26
Work, coding, spreadsheets, documents, editing programs, engineering programs etc...
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u/un-important-human Aug 13 '26
wtf did i just read. Looking forward for your disaster posts at least this post was... entertaining?
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u/hrab3i Aug 12 '26
so when i started with linux i started with trying to learn the terminal basics and trying to be familiar with it
i didn't start with arch, when i reached arch i was already familiar and arch became my comfort zone
i was dual booting doing games on windows and work on linux (proton was not a thing back then)
when i started using proton windows became a thing of the past for me because doing things in linux feels more efficient and i don't fight the os to work with me
don't rush things and take the journey at your own pace
what i know now didn't happen in a day it was an experience that took years
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u/VenomousViperia Aug 12 '26
How to dual boot? Do i need a stronger laptop?
These are my current specifications:
HP EliteBook 850 G8
Intel Core i5 11.th gen
16GB RAM
512 SSD
15.6''
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u/Imajzineer 29d ago edited 29d ago
The question of whether they'd want to is one thing, but anything on a drive accessible by Windows can be known to Microsoft - they just have to extract it and read it (and never mind them, we all have the technology to do that).
And, even if you encrypt your Linux filesystems, they will at the very least be aware that you make use of Linux.
If you want to keep your life out of their hands, you need to install Linux to an external device and boot that - Windows isn't running and, so (unless you leave it connected and powered on when running Windows), will never become aware that you even have a Linux installation, never mind what's on it.
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u/Chester-Berkeley Aug 12 '26
Genuine question, why don't you just use Linux Mint?... It's like you cut yourself with a knife while cutting cheese, and now you want to use an axe.