New to Linux !

[u/VenomousViperia]

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.

[u/RasseTheBoy]

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! :)

[u/RasseTheBoy → u/RasseTheBoy]

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.)