Hey folks! I'm about to get a ThinkPad and want to set it up with Linux primarily for daily tasks like browsing, working on documents, and a bit of light coding. My main focus is on privacy rather than just security tools. I'm particularly interested in distributions that have good hardware support for ThinkPads, prioritize open-source friendly drivers and firmware, and are stable and easy to maintain. I've got a basic understanding of Linux and I'm comfortable with terminals and following guides, but I'm hoping to find something that I can trust as a reliable daily driver. What Linux distributions would you suggest for this purpose, and why? Thanks in advance!
5 Answers
If ultimate privacy is your goal, Tails might be the way to go. It's designed to run from USB and resets after each use, meaning no tracks are left behind. Just be prepared for some limitations since it doesn’t persist data between sessions unless you have an external drive set up.
Debian is a solid choice for privacy-focused users. It’s known for its stability and has great hardware support. You might want to check out their privacy issues wiki for more insights!
You might find the distro selection page from our community wiki helpful! It’s a great resource. Also, I recommend checking out a YouTube video that gives a comprehensive overview of various distros. Testing different options on a Ventoy stick can be really useful too. And don’t forget to pick a browser like LibreWolf for better privacy!
I think most distributions are quite secure inherently, but some definitely have more privacy issues than others. It's true that Wayland offers better security than X11. If privacy is your main concern, it could be worth looking into distros that use Wayland, as they tend to prevent unauthorized access to your windows and input.
I've been running Qubes OS on my ThinkPad and it works wonderfully! It allows you to create isolated 'qubes' for each area of your online life, making it harder for anyone to link your activities together. Just make sure to use different email addresses for your accounts and a paid VPN to keep your identity private.
If you're considering Debian, you could also look into using a hypervisor like Xen or even Qubes OS, but keep in mind those can be a bit complex for beginners.