Privacy

I was also tired of being bombarded with targeted adds - Until I discovered these Apps in Linux.

Making Linux Private

You already have a secure OS - with no built in backdoors. And now you want to make it more private.

Changing Linux DNS

You can try with PiHole

With Unbound
- https://github.com/JamesTurland/JimsGarage/tree/main/Unbound
Or try Bind9
PortMaster also helps to change and visualize the network queries.
Stacer - Optimize processes, check apt repositories, startup apps…

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:oguzhaninan/stacer -y
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install stacer -y

Whats my current DNS?

sudo apt install resolvconf
sudo systemctl status resolvconf.service

ℹ️

Check your DNS with: WireShark and the DNS performance with: GRC’s DNS Benchmark, Knot DNS Resolver, DNSPerf or dnsmasq

Securing HomeLan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivPptt3Ae5o

Monitoring OutGoing Connections

With OpenSnitch 👇

wget https://github.com/evilsocket/opensnitch/releases/download/v1.6.5.1/python3-opensnitch-ui_1.6.5.1-1_all.deb #https://github.com/evilsocket/opensnitch/releases
sudo apt install ./opensnitch*.deb ./python3-opensnitch-ui*.deb

Douane
gufw (GUI for Uncomplicated Firewall)
PortMaster

Changing Bad Habits

Use different tools to search:

Whoogle!
SearXNG
Youtube Alternatives:
Use a Password Manager: Bitwarden, KeePass…
Together with 2FA authenticator: 2FAs Auth, Aegis Authenticator,…

VPNs

https://jalcocert.github.io/Linux/docs/debian/linux_vpn_setup/

DNS =» https://github.com/mullvad/dns-blocklists/tree/main https://quad9.net/service/service-addresses-and-features/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAo61IaXun8&t=1s

DNS over TLS (DoT) is an enhancement over the traditional DNS that adds encryption to DNS queries and responses. It uses the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol to secure the communication between the DNS client and the DNS server, preventing eavesdropping and tampering by third parties.

P2P safely with VPN and QBittorrent or with Transmission

Communication

Matrix

Thunderbird allows you not only to use email, but to connect to Matrix Servers
Rocket.chat

ℹ️

You can SelfHost your own Matrix Server and Federate it with other servers if you wish.

Signal

How to Install Signal 👇

You need to add the repository to your packages list, then install it:

# wget -O- https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt/keys.asc | gpg --dearmor > signal-desktop-keyring.gpg
# cat signal-desktop-keyring.gpg | sudo tee -a /usr/share/keyrings/signal-desktop-keyring.gpg > /dev/null
# echo 'deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/signal-desktop-keyring.gpg] https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt xenial main' | sudo tee -a /etc/apt/sources.list.d/signal-xenial.list

sudo apt update
sudo apt install signal-desktop

#signal-desktop

Session

Built on top of Oxen.

How to Install Session 👇

Check the latest release

wget https://github.com/oxen-io/session-desktop/releases/download/v1.11.5/session-desktop-linux-amd64-1.11.5.deb
sudo dpkg -i session-desktop-linux-amd64-1.11.5.deb
sudo apt install -f

#chmod +x session-desktop-linux-x86_64-1.11.5.AppImage
#./session-desktop-linux-x86_64-1.11.5.AppImage

Send Messages, not MetaData - https://getsession.org/

FAQ

How to Install Douane 👇

Douane is a personal firewall that us to control which applications can connect to the internet.

You can see Douane Source Code and install as per the instructions

How to Install Portmaster 👇

PortMaster is a great F/OSS Project that allow us to set Global & per‑App Settings.

Install PortMaster with:

sudo apt update
wget https://updates.safing.io/latest/linux_amd64/packages/portmaster-installer.deb

sudo dpkg -i portmaster-installer.deb
portmaster --version

#sudo apt install -f


#sudo systemctl status portmaster
# sudo systemctl daemon-reload
# sudo systemctl enable --now portmaster

# This will stop the portmaster until you reboot.
#sudo systemctl stop portmaster

# This will disable automatically starting the Portmaster on boot.
#sudo systemctl disable portmaster

Or if you want, build and install:

wget https://github.com/safing/portmaster/archive/refs/tags/v1.6.5.tar.gz
tar -zxvf v1.6.5.tar.gz #extract the contents


cd portmaster-1.6.5

make
sudo make install

portmaster --version

Definitely check:

Is my WIFI secure enough?

TOR vs I2P vs LokiNet

🧅

The Onion Router - Tor is a well-established network that operates as a decentralized network of nodes (volunteer-run servers, without financial incentives) that route and encrypt traffic through multiple layers (called onion routing) to conceal the origin and destination of data.

I2P

I2P is primarily designed for anonymous communication and services within the I2P network itself. It’s optimized for hidden services, like websites (eepsites), email, and file sharing, that are accessible only within I2P.

Garlic Routing: I2P uses garlic routing, an extension of onion routing. It bundles messages together, providing an additional layer of anonymity. This method is designed to make traffic analysis more difficult.
Peer Selection: In I2P, peers are selected based on continuous performance profiling, which can lead to faster performance for the user since the network optimizes over time based on usage.

LokiNet

Lokinet also utilizes onion routing to route and encrypt traffic, but it employs a mixnet architecture, which means that each packet of data is routed through multiple nodes in the network, similar to Tor.

How to Install Latest LokiNet 👇

Check the latest release here and:

wget https://github.com/oxen-io/lokinet/releases/download/v0.9.11/lokinet-v0.9.11.tar.xz
tar -xvf lokinet-v0.9.11.tar.xz #extract

However, Lokinet nodes are incentivized by the ~~Loki~~ Oxen cryptocurrency to participate in the network, and it operates as a separate network from Tor.

Lokinet also aims to provide a platform for decentralized applications (dApps) and services, such as secure messaging, decentralized websites (SNApps), and other privacy-focused applications.

SNApps, or Session Network Applications, are DApps built on top of the Session network. Session is a privacy-focused messaging and communication platform that utilizes end-to-end encryption and onion routing to provide anonymous and censorship-resistant communication.

Oxen Blockchain Explorer - https://lokiblocks.com/
Oxen Name System

Crypto?

This is not in the right place to learn big about Crypto - but WhyCryptoCurrencies it is (and Free).

A couple of wallets that you can use in Linux 👇

flatpak install flathub org.electrum.electrum #BTC

flatpak install flathub org.featherwallet.Feather #Monero
#flatpak install flathub org.getmonero.Monero

Use them wisely and be responsibly.

DeFi Protocols Info: https://defillama.com/top-protocols
- Example: https://defillama.com/yields?attribute=stablecoins
  - https://ethereum.org/stablecoins
Create your own Crypto Analytics Dashboard with Dune
- Also, you can see what others have created and whats trending

How this also resonates with Linux?

Well, nature of crypto is F/OSS (if it is not you better run):

Many wallets are F/OSS
- You can explore them with F/OSS tools like the PWA Merklin
Smart Contracts are F/OSS
- And dApps sense is also F/OSS
And you can have a look to full history of transactions: ETH, BTC…

ℹ️

I was trying Astro with Github Pages and wrote more about Web3+Crypto here

IPFS

IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) is one of the foundational technologies that could serve as a backbone for Web3 due to its role in enabling decentralized storage and access to data across the internet.

PFS provides the infrastructure necessary for developing and hosting decentralized applications.

Filecoin

FileCoin is a decentralized storage network designed to turn cloud storage into an algorithmic market. It runs on a blockchain with a native token, also called Filecoin (FIL), which is used as a payment system for storage and retrieval services. Here’s how Filecoin relates to IPFS:

Built on IPFS: Filecoin is essentially an incentive layer on top of IPFS. While IPFS allows for the decentralized storing and sharing of files, Filecoin incentivizes the storage of those files through financial rewards. Storage providers earn Filecoin tokens by hosting files, effectively turning data storage into a market where users pay to have their files stored.
Decentralization and Redundancy: Like IPFS, Filecoin aims to make the web more decentralized and less reliant on centralized cloud storage providers. By distributing files across numerous nodes, it enhances data redundancy and reliability.
Security and Efficiency: Filecoin introduces cryptographic proofs to ensure files are stored correctly and securely. These include Proof of Replication (PoRep) and Proof of Spacetime (PoSt), which verify that data is being stored as intended over time.

Filecoin introduces cryptographic proofs to ensure files are stored correctly and securely. These include Proof of Replication (PoRep) and Proof of Spacetime (PoSt), which verify that data is being stored as intended over time.

You can also check Arweave

Web3

Web 3.0, often referred to simply as Web3, represents the next phase of the internet’s evolution, emphasizing decentralization, blockchain technologies, and token-based economics. It seeks to address issues related to privacy, data ownership, and centralization that have become prevalent in the era of Web 2.0, which is dominated by large tech companies.

Debian Based Distros Arch Based Distros