this post was submitted on 02 Sep 2025
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[โ€“] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Update, but it appears that Trump's Gestapo now has access to Graphite, which is Israeli spyware, designed with zero-day exploits. Apparently it can also hack Signal.

What we need is to criminally prosecute all who circumvent robust privacy laws using third countries. Especially companies and secret services. And if that means we need to arrest prime ministers, so be it. If Israel's terrorist Mossad arrests people on other countries' borders, who's to say we cannot do the same for their fascist terrorist leaders?

[โ€“] whaleross@lemmy.world 58 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

Arch Linux as the alternative to Windows will make people never try Linux again. It should just say Linux, no flavours or personal preferences needed, alternatively a listing of the most newbie user friendly distros ever. Everybody already into Linux know what they want.

[โ€“] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 19 points 5 days ago (2 children)

My current recommendations.

Just play games? Bazzite.
Just need a work machine? Debian 13.
Want a little of everything? Fedora.

[โ€“] oplkill@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago

Linux Mint as great middle

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[โ€“] axEl7fB5@lemmy.cafe 13 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Ecosia is debatable. Also, why the fuck would you introduce Arch Linux as an alternative for Windows?? Start them with Mint/Fedora/Ubuntu.

[โ€“] saimen@feddit.org 13 points 4 days ago

He wrote "what he personally uses" not what he recommends.

[โ€“] barnaclebutt@lemmy.world 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

Linux is Linux. Archinstall+KDE is quite easy to install and get working. Sure, neon or some flavour of debian will be easier. But, it's practically all the same these days. Also, Arch may have better compatibility with some laptops because of the latest Linux kernel. Moreover, if the person is a little tech savvy, the arch wiki is an excellent place to learn about Linux.

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[โ€“] pyre@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago (7 children)

couldn't just say Linux lol had to include what distro btw

[โ€“] blinfabian@feddit.nl 10 points 4 days ago

i use arch btw

[โ€“] Ron@zegheteens.nl 2 points 3 days ago

Some Linux ditros are from the US, could be a no-go for some. The Linux HQ is also located in the US btw.

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[โ€“] NeroRecursive@jlai.lu 27 points 5 days ago (6 children)

No one mentioning Le Chat for the LLM part?

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[โ€“] notsosure@sh.itjust.works 27 points 5 days ago (9 children)

How easy is it to switch completely from windows to Linux? Usability, feautures, costs?

[โ€“] blinfabian@feddit.nl 34 points 5 days ago (4 children)

imo its not that hard, but if its your first time with linux i'd suggest starting with a linux mint/fedora vm or install it on a spare laptop if you have one. this way you could learn it a bit before making the switch

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[โ€“] roserose56@lemmy.ca 16 points 5 days ago

You could also start with a dual boot windows-linux, and then slowly slowly transition to Linux. That's how I started and I never booted windows after.

[โ€“] v01dworks@piefed.social 8 points 5 days ago (3 children)

I donโ€™t want to say itโ€™s hard but it also feels disingenuous just simply calling it easy. honestly depends on the person and what they want to do with the computer

Installing it isnโ€™t hard so long as youโ€™re comfortable following some instructions to load a file onto a flash drive and hitting a couple buttons when your computer turns on

For usability, If you absolutely need specific programs that donโ€™t work on Linux, like anything from Adobe, MS Office, CAD software, a lot of music production software, stuff like that, and an alternative just wonโ€™t work in your situation (such as if you need it for work) then unfortunately thereโ€™s not really a proper solution there. TONS of programs have a Linux equivalent thatโ€™s open source and free, many of them work fantastic, but also thereโ€™s many that arenโ€™t ideal. For gaming though, itโ€™s gotten REALLY good. With the exception of certain huge multiplayer games with anti-cheat, almost everything will just work if you use Steam, and most other things you can make work by adding them to Steam as a non-Steam game and clicking a couple buttons

As for cost? It costs no money but will cost you some time when youโ€™re first setting it up and learning the ways it differs from Windows

If installing it doesnโ€™t intimidate you and you donโ€™t need any of the software thatโ€™s not supported, then itโ€™s honestly not hard overall but there will be some adjustments

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[โ€“] JoeBidet@lemmy.ml 21 points 5 days ago (3 children)

How and why is Signal not "American big tech"? It even runs on Amazon' servers!

[โ€“] kilgore_trout@feddit.it 5 points 4 days ago (3 children)

It's not big and it's not for-profit.

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[โ€“] rustydrd@sh.itjust.works 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

I read "American/Big Tech" as things that can be either the one or the other but not necessarily both. Telegram is a for-profit, publicly traded company based in Dubai that recently announced a partnership with xAI to include Grok into its services. Signal on the other hand is based in California and has been entirely non-profit so far. Pick your poison, I guess, but I know what I'm gonna pick.

[โ€“] JoeBidet@lemmy.ml 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

You make it sound like there are only these two possibilities, that's where it gets misleading...

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[โ€“] birdwing@lemmy.blahaj.zone 21 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (5 children)

Can also recommend Qwant besides Ecosia.

For AI chatbots I'd recommend Ollama, Kobold.cpp or Llamafix.

for mail, Mailbox and Tuta are great too.

For delivery services, Bol.com is better indeed (has better labour rights too), but ideal is to just go shopping in the city itself. It benefits local smaller stores too!

For YouTube, I'd recommend PeerTube.

For OS, it depends on how well you know Linux types. If you're new to Linux, and just want something that works, Linux Mint.

In general, the best bet would be as decentralised, open source, and horizontally organised as possible. Defederate from large companies. The less chance then, that a bad agent will be able to embrace, extend, and extinguish.

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[โ€“] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 15 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Great list. My only recommendation is adding LibreOffice.

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[โ€“] Everyday0764@lemmy.zip 3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

i've never heard of here wego, but i cannot find it on fdroid, is it open-source? is it openstreat map based?

[โ€“] blinfabian@feddit.nl 4 points 3 days ago

here wego isnt opensource, but it is european (from the netherlands)

[โ€“] Stzyxh@feddit.org 5 points 4 days ago

isn't opensource and also not openstreetmap. I use Comaps

[โ€“] disnomos@lemmy.zip 13 points 5 days ago

Bitwarden is from the US. KeePass would be an alternative. But ProtonPass ist great. Nice List.

[โ€“] paequ2@lemmy.today 3 points 4 days ago

The popups, ads, and nags about disabling ad blocker on Ecosia... Ehh...

[โ€“] thatonecoder@lemmy.ca 5 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[โ€“] Panda@lemmy.today 9 points 4 days ago (2 children)

They're using Signal though, not Telegram.

[โ€“] floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 4 days ago (5 children)
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