5d ago

Is Linux safe to write and save stories on?

I just want to write stories again and haven't been able to at all since 2025 due to...2025 and all that has entailed. I no longer feel safe or secure using any of my current devices. I feel surveyed and watched 24/7. I'm absolutely not okay with things as they are currently. (.-.) For more context, I have pre-existing mental disorders and this year has just done me in.

I'm striving toward switching out at least one device with something that I can install linux on. I was thinking either a lenovo or a dell, and will start probably with linux mint, they say it's a good beginner distro.

Not being able to write is killing me. I love writing so much even though it's not anything special. It just felt good.

I've never used linux but want to learn and I will learn, because you have to if you want to use it. You can't just hop in a car and hope it will work without knowing how to drive it. I will learn the commands. I'll fail at it a couple times but learn. It'll be great. Bring it.

I appreciate you taking time to reply.

Edit: You guys are amazing. My hope for the future is restored. Thank you!

45 comments

In a pure technical standpoint, directly answering your question: yes, Linux is a free and open source kernel, and most(looking at you Ubuntu.... Damn you) Linux distros are privacy respecting, so it is a good choice.
Going a bit more beyond: it depends. Do you want full privacy? Or just peace from Windows?
If you want peace from Windows, yeah, Linux is a big step-up, but it works and once you get the hang of it, it's a bit hard to go back.
If you want privacy, just switching to Linux will help, but not solve. That's a entire separate journey you'll have to take alongside your Linux escapade.
What softwares do you use? What services do you use?
If you use Microsoft Office, you'll have to switch as that both doesn't exist in Linux, but also is kept by Microsoft which.... You know how Windows is.
If you use Google anything, you gotta seek to de-google. Replace Google Docs with Nextcloud, replace Google with some other search engine, switch to a privacy respecting browser, etc.
Do you use some password manager? How safe are those? And what accounts do you have? What's your mail provider?
There are thousands of little questions you'll have to make yourself about what you use and what you do. And then, privacy nowadays sadly is a balance.
The more privacy you have, the more convoluted and less practical it ends up being. Setting up and using something like KeePassXC is a lot less practical than just hitting save in Google Chrome to save into your Google account.
Full 100% privacy isn't feasible for a normal person, and that's okay. The small percentage that "leaks" out is so small, it gets lost in the bulk collecting of data. At one point you'll need to figure out how much convenience and practicality you want to give up on for privacy.
And without loosing much of it, having just a few small tweaks, boy you can go far. I have de-googled completely, switched 99% of my services and softwares to privacy ones, even rock Alpine Linux. And it still feels extremely practical and easy for me. You just gotta weight and figure out what works for you.
EDIT: cuz my wording was a bit off, this isn't to discourage you, by opposite. It is more of a informative for you to study exactly your use case and how you want your privacy to be. Privacy is subjective and depends on the context, so there's a bit of homework involved with it
- What softwares do you use? What services do you use?
  I use Apple devices right now. I've heard the stories about Windows as of late. Damn. But Apple is not much better.
  If you use Google anything, you gotta seek to de-google. Replace Google Docs with Nextcloud, replace Google with some other search engine, switch to a privacy respecting browser, etc.
  Oh absolutely degoogling. I'm on it. For now I'm using ecosia search engine but I just found out they are still kind of sketchy, so I will keep looking for a good search engine. As for the browser, I got Tor. It's great but only problem is when I try to go on some online spaces with Tor, I get blocked because they think I'm an intruder. So, it works VERY well, perhaps too well. But that is reassuring! I got a tutamail account. I still have gmail but have plans to ditch it soon and go all in on tutamail. I will definitely check out nextcloud, this is the first time I've heard about it. Not discouraged at all, this is great. :)Thank you!
  
  What are your issues with Apple currently? Have you turned on Advanced Data Protection? Might not be possible anymore if you’re in the UK, but I’m wondering what reason you think you are being surveilled with the OS you’re currently using? It’s much more likely you’re being surveilled with the programs you are using than the OS, though Microsoft is pretty scummy about it.
  
  I’m wondering what reason you think you are being surveilled with the OS you’re currently using?
  It's a fairly safe bet using either Windows or MacOS that they're collecting a not insignificant amount of data.
  It’s much more likely you’re being surveilled with the programs you are using than the OS, though Microsoft is pretty scummy about it.
  Absolutely, M$ with their forced OneDrive integration with everything, collect much more even using just 365 on say MacOS or android/iOS. Other alternative products do the same, especially if they're "free".
  All this said....unless OP is writing battle plans or something that an alphabet organisation is taking an interest in, I think surveilled is probably the wrong word. Data collection is pretty wide spread, and you'd have to be doing something out of the norm to be actively under surveillance. Unless you live in, or send your data through, American owned servers. Well known for a while now that the NSA collects everything they can so it's on hand should they need it. Still wouldn't really call that surveillance though.
  
  You're probably right. I have a feeling my paranoia is more amplified and it's not quite as bad as I'm making it out to be. I got incogni to clear my data from being used by advertisers. I was sad to have to do it but I left Youtube as well because they are tied with google and it was getting unsettling. Every video I clicked on seemed to make intimate references to me, my interests, everything, and it was awful. It felt like watching someone read a page torn out from my journal or something. However I have a mental disorder that runs in my family and this may not have been how I perceived it. It can be frustrating to not know what's real and what's not. And now with how the tech companies are behaving, it's even harder to know at times.
  ....I'm ashamed to admit I only recently learned what data encryption is. :')
  The reason I worry about being surveilled is because I draw and write, and I'm hearing more incidents of people's work being stolen without their knowing. AI art theft is a huge problem. It's stealing not just art but people's identities, people's writing, everything. It's not okay.

45 comments