i use windows because its the only os i know how to use. i want to get into things like torrenting because free stuff is cool but im afraid to. ive heard of tails os, a os that boots from a flash drive, is that worth checking out or should i stick with windows?
what is your advice? what should i do?
You don't need to jump from Windows to TAILS for torrents, try mint that is basically the same user experience as windows xp.
If you care about privacy and wanna use Windows... God help you...
You want Linux my friend
...and if you want to torrent then you need a respectable peer-to-peer VPN service like ProtonVPN
and a True Linux ! not one that has been "infected" with parts that do not respect The Four Essential Freedoms of Free Software
So avoid Ubuntu for example..
have a look a this video https://www.fsf.org/blogs/rms/20140407-geneva-tedx-talk-free-software-free-society/
And for a Linux distrio have a look at https://www.devuan.org 💓
and about windows --> https://itvision.altervista.org/why-windows-10-sucks.html
ok ill give linux a try then but is there a certain version of linux you would suggest? one person suggest mint btw. if i go with Linux do i need a vpn or am i good without one?
You need VPN to hide your traffic from your internet provider, your OS will not help with that. Use Mullvad, nothing else.
If you want more secure OS, that will respect your privacy, your only options are Linux or BSD. If you only have experience with Windows, go with Linux Mint. Keep in mind that it is a fork of Ubuntu, so guides and packages for Ubuntu will work for Mint almost always.
Mint is more suited for newcomers.
I use Ubuntu Budgie and that works perfect for me, but I hear Mint is good for beginners too.
And if you live in the US, always use a VPN when torrenting. But if you live in a country where you know no one will give a shit about you downloading a movie, then have at it.
In terms of digital security best practices, though, you should pretty much always use a VPN anyway. And follow this guide if you feel like you do need a VPN when torrenting.
There's a lot of helpful comments here and being your age is a great time to start tinkering with computers! Just start by installing them into a VirtualBox because if you don't have the knowledge it's very easy to break things and anyone else that has to use the computer isn't going to be very happy with you.
However, I want to point out something that actually address your concerns.
- If you are concerned about getting "caught" for torrenting then Windows vs any other OS makes zero difference.
- If you are concerned about viruses, Linux is more secure based on the fact that most viruses target Windows. However, this does not mean it is impossible. Learning basic security practices will help you on Windows and much as any other OS.
This video by Mental Outlaw is very helpful on debloating and despooking Windows 10: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhitETZb8s0&t=0
However, these are just bandaid solutions, and are best used when you really need Windows for whatever reason, whether it is for work or school or just certain software that does not exist or have an alternative to on Linux.
If you would like to switch to Linux, check out Linux Mint. It is the best version of Linux for beginners, and you can honestly use it without ever having to touch the terminal if you don't want to do any mildly advanced stuff. I would also heavily recommend you dual boot Windows and Linux Mint, rather than completely switching to Linux Mint, OR, try Linux Mint in a virtual machine and get used to it before you wipe your Windows installation and replace it with Linux Mint completely.
Tails isn't really designed for daily driving. I'd go for a user friendly distro like Ubuntu if you an on switching from windows.
It is possible to make windows a little more private if you didn't want to switch. Here's a pretty good guide in modifying the the iso before installing: https://www.tomshardware.com/how-to/create-custom-windows-11-install-disk
Modifying window does help users gain more control and privacy, but windows is proprietary so a person can only do so much. Be careful on what you remove if you GI this route, windows relies on weird apps to function.
Another note, I wouldn't be afraid of torrenting. The inky person that would care that your getting free movies and such is your ISP, and you can just flip on a VPN to clear their radar.
As another commenter suggested, you should probably use Linux Mint for that purpose, since Mint is far easier to use, plus Tails resets itself upon shutdown so you'd need an external drive for permanent storage.
If you absolutely must stay on Windows, there's a project called Atlas OS that tries to strip a Windows installation of its telemetry and bloat, however there are privacy concerns with that, like up until a little while ago it actually disabled Windows Defender by default
if i go with linux or linux mint do i need a vpn or something or am i good without one? sorry if im being paranoid.
Your worry is the OS (Microsoft) spying on you or you ISP? If is the first you are good with Linux, if is the second then you need a VPN.
If all you want to do is torrent just use a vpn, as it sounds like all you really want is to avoid DMCA notices.
This is a good lesson in understanding your threat model.
If Windows is the only thing you know how to use, don't use tails. Use something that has a KDE desktop environment which is like Windows. Suggestions for distros in these comments are pretty good. It'll look and operate like windows, except you install apps from app stores like you do on your phone.
A "just works" distribution like Linux Mint is miles ahead compared to Windows and Tails OS is a step even further as it is only Live and routes everything through TOR.
Linux is not hard to be honest. Your main concern in difficulty is third-party software support. (Creative cloud and office 365 does not work for instance.)
If you want to try out any of these, just ask me if you need any help
office 365 does not work for instance.
Well that's not true
O365 via the browser works perfectly fine and has done for years. You can't install windows executable apps if that's what you meant
