I know you are used to your modern fast computers, but please don't exaggerate. My main computer is a 3rd generation Intel Core-i7 3770 (3.5 GHz base frequency, 3.9 GHz Turbo Boost), with "only" 16GB RAM and it is reasonably fast for everything except gaming. Before maximizing the RAM to 16GB I had 8GB and it was also good. However since I render videos it was easy to reach 7GB+, so I added more RAM. What I am trying to say is that older computers with 4GB RAM might be "entry level" by today standards but certainly not junk. They are still very useable for office work and surfing the internet. Even with 2GB you can run Windows 11, albeit with some patience. Not everyone plays modern resource hungry games on their computers. Most can live with a less powerful one.
Sorry for late answer, i have been busy as hell, so i have not had any energy to spend on forums
No i use old computers on daily bases.. my two most modern
(work computers only) is intel 8Gen, but i dont use them for personal usage.. This laptop I'm on right now
(is the one i mostly use) and its only a 2nd Gen intel i3 with 12GB ddr3 Ram. I run a lot on this one.. Debian on boot uses around 600MB Ram... but at the moment i use 10,4GB ram and 9,2GB on memory-swap
(as windows memory-paging-file for those that dont know what Linux swap is)
So i never-ever look down on old hardware.. Even it will run slow on modern windows, it has a lot left to give when running Linux (with non-flashy-desktop environment) With KDE plasma or most modern gnome.. Linux is as heavy as win10.
Yes, I have an MSI Titan GT73VR. Currently, it runs Windows 10 and works perfectly. It too has an Nvidia Geforce card but I can't remember which one. I'm not sure whether it runs in AHCI or RAID. I only ever use it as a backup machine for when travelling. I will fish it out and get more info. Do I need to disable fast boot on it anyway? I have to say, it starts in under 15 seconds which is much faster than my Alienware at nearly 6 minutes.
Sorry for late answer.. i have been to busy to as i wrote above.
If you have that laptop and you only using that one as a backup for travelling etc.. Then if i was you i would do this.
I searched for the specifications on that one.. it looks like an i9 7th gen cpu and it has one sata disk and two m.2 slots... (if i got it right)
So as you need that one to work as is.. I would get a new SSD disk, then remove the win10 disk and keep that one safe for usage when you need it as a backup/travelling computer...
When you have that disk safe in a box not connected, you can't mess up things whatever you manage to do with linux commands or installs or encryption or formatting drives and blow up filesystems and partitions.
So with a new empty SSD i would install Linux Mint
(as Mint have a big support forum and a lot of kind people for those that are new to linux)
This way you can have your computer you are on now as is for stuff you dont need to be anonymous for.. as Banking or other stuff that is your identity needed.... and then you can use the GT73VR side by side for stuff you want to be private for.
I already use a VPN. I also use Brave's Tor window whenever possible. The problem with both is that you have to login to be able to comment which, of course, identifies you. It's the same with all social media, and YouTube are currently in the process of installing a requirement for digital ID to be able to login and view content. Indeed, 2 days ago, I found myself unable to download anything as they had implemented a new cookie identifier for each session. Yesterday, they turned that off, but you can be certain it will be back again soon.
Another thing that many sites are now gradually switching to is passkeys.
Regarding code words, throughout the pandemic we masked words by purposely misspelling them or using cockney rhyming slang. Today, AI can guess what we are saying from the context of the sentence anyway. The only genuine solution is probably not to say anything, but then that's precisely what all these ridiculous laws are for.
You just pointed out the main thing why people have a problem to stay anonymous online even if they use the best OS, VPN and TOR browser... a login to something that already have your identity and the chain of privacy is broken.
So here is the trick.
When you have a secure computer.. as my suggestion above.. Then while you are behind a VPN on a Linux computer.. then you create new email address on Proton mail.. That new email is what you are using to create new accounts on those Social media sites etc you want to speak your mind on.
Here is a thing.. Kill your wifi in the Bios and only run cable between your computer and the router.
Why... Facebook and Google is using network identifiers, Wifi triangulation etc.. So when the script on the webpage find your wifi name
(lets say:QuicktellPro) Then you are identified as your old accounts already have been identified on that wifi name
.
2FA
.. dont use your phone.. that one is identified as the real you... Create a second Proton email for e-mail 2FA.. or just skip 2FA... also never reuse old nicknames as a smart person with OSINT skills can track it down.
Privacy online is work.. hard work some times.. and most people trip and fall on wifi names being identified in website scripts, or using the same nicknames, or logging in to their google mail, or their Facebook that is identified by phone, wifi name, etc etc.
If you want a taste of what tracking can see, check out this page GEO tracking and fingerprinting:
Private communities
Brax.me is a privacy social media forum with people that is everything from people that just had it with Google tracking them... to people that has a real reason to hide as they dont live in countries with democracy and free speech.
I tried running it on my MSI Titan using all ports but always got the same result. The error message was something like "Verifying shim SBAT data failed".
View attachment 141981
If you have secure boot enabled, some Linux distributions wont boot, as Microsoft hasn't verified their bootloaders.
