Im very paranoid about getting into piracy and im not sure if i should or it or not but there are so many things i want that i cant afford.
is there a secure linux os that i can use without a vpn? im pretty use to windows 10 but i was told linux mint is good for this kind of stuff, is that true?
piracy is not that deep… the OS doesn't really matter in this case as what you're concerned about is the ISP, not anything in your own PC. if you don't have a VPN, your ISP could send letters bugging you for downloading stuff. you'd probably have to get dozens of letters before the ISP would cancel your service.
just get a VPN for $5/month and you don't have to worry about it.
Your advice on ISPs is jurisdiction specific. As an example, in Germany and some other countries, you have private law firms involved, tracking down people with the help of the courts, shaking people down with threats of civil lawsuits. VPNs good, though.
Does your country care about Piracy?
If yes: you need a VPN, your operating system means nothing.
If no: just torrent lol.
If you’re not using a VPN your ip will be visible no matter which OS you are using.
No need to be that paranoid. If you want to be basically bulletproof, pay for a cheap seedbox hosted in a friendly country (ultraseedbox is a good choice), and do your torrenting there. Then use any free or cheap SFTP program to transfer it to your computer.
Plex or Jellyfin are good ways to view the content either directly from your seedbox or off of your local computer, and I know that Plex has encrypted connection options. Jellyfin probably does too.
My favorite setup was a headless Raspberry Pi Zero plugged in and hidden behind furniture in the common areas of a high-rise condo building where I rented a unit for a few months. They have gigabit Internet access. Remote into it, schedule a batch download, then retrieve it from the Zero later. It was cool, but inconvenient. Proof of concept only really.
Literally stop being paranoid and do it. Prosecuting individuals for reproducing copyrighted material is almost never enforced unless you're directly angering the copyright holder.
"security" in /Linux distributions is using up-to-date software and having common sense OPSEC. I suggest you read up on the computer science of torrenting first and then pick your preferred libre bittorrent client with a VPN.
Sorry if I sound a bit standoffish but you have to rid yourself of the idea that there exists a "secure linux os." The only increased security with libre software is your own knowledge and know how.
You don't need Linux to torrent. The VPN is so your ISP doesn't send you love letters. That's the useful thing. Once you have a VPN, there's no reason to be paranoid about conventional piracy behavior.
If you're paranoid anyway, it's more than just your choice of distro. OpenBSD is kinda made for paranoia, but you still have to think about who you're hiding from, how much is at risk if you get caught, how much time and money it's worth investing to protect yourself, what threats you're up against etc. Like, are you more afraid of downloading malware or being caught breaking the law?
If you just want some movies and music, get a vpn and go nuts. If you have no vpn, you can avoid being noticed by not sharing stuff that's popular when it's popular, like blockbuster movies.
Tails is a USB bootable linux distro folks use to buy drugs, FYI. Tor is helpful for staying anonymous from some companies and governments. I2P may be more private than Tor. Like, if you're afraid your government will put you in jail for political beliefs, then you start looking at in-depth OPSEC.
TAILs forces all traffic through Tor. It's disallowed etiquette to use Tor for torrenting.
So dont use TAILs for this.
