Im using framework. my home networks isnt safe (it belongs to my family and google) and i would like to use the internet in public uncensored. someone also has a virus (they will not remove it dont ask why i do not know either) I know qubes is for security but Tails isnt for me. any reasonable ways to make Qubes private in my situation?

btw heres why i want security/privacy (i dont know my terminology)

I will be opening risky files and pirating

Don’t like survillence policing/capitalism or censorship

Will be reading political things but dont want to be manipulated by my views

Love disposable identities that are hard to connect together

thanks for reading

  • nymnympseudonym@piefed.socialEnglish
    6·
    14 hours ago

    Qubes requires a lot of configuring to be properly secure and you have to have a fair bit of understanding about virtualization.

    I’d suggest starting with Whonix . It still uses some of the same virtualization technology, and like Tails routes everything over Tor, and provides excellent protection against threats on your local network (due to separating Gateway into its own VM)

    Also Whonix is straightforward to set up. You first install VirtualBox, then literally just double-click the Whonix .OVA file to install. It fires up two virtual machines: Gateway and Workstation. You use the Workstation; the Gateway handles Internet traffic (and you generally don’t login to it)

    You can save files, customize your desktop, use it like a normal computer.

    EDIT: just noticed this

    opening risky files

    For that, your best bet is a burner laptop that you re-image regularly. Qubes is also a pretty good way to do this; you’d set up an extremely locked-down execution environment for the “risky file”.

    But if the risky file attacks Linux-based OSes, you’re hosed even under Whonix or Tails.

    • hendrik@palaver.p3x.deEnglish
      3·
      13 hours ago

      I feel there’s a lot of bandwidth with “risky files” anyway. If that’s just a select few pirated games, creating two seperate user accounts might do. I did that for a while. Had one regular account for all my files, browsing etc. And another one with Lutris and some pirated games from ye good ol times… If there’s some Windows virus included, it can’t access any of my files.

      If someone does computer security research, or plans to deliberately execute the nastiest malware, ransomware… that’s obviously not enough by any means.

      But people are in different kinds of situations. So pick what’s best for you. And my priorities changed over time. These days I -for example- don’t pirate as much software anymore. In case I want some of my Portal2 memories back, I’ll just wait for the next Steam sale and buy it for 5 bucks… and for the rest of my software needs I have Linux and the Free Software community. I still keep the separate user accounts for random games and work and personal stuff, though.

          • hendrik@palaver.p3x.deEnglish
            1·
            10 hours ago

            Yes, operating system accounts. And a good follow-up step is to check whether that account is really unable to read the files from other accounts. Sometimes Linux distributions come with weird default settings, I think Debian allows read access to files per default. I’m not 100% sure.

            Virtual machines are way better at isolating stuff. Downside might be some extra effort to set them up, and maybe some fiddling with the graphics card.