Are you sure about that? Most countries around the world have a Linux user group of some sort. Find out what your local group is called, get in touch and I'm sure you'll be able to find someone who'll be more than happy to help.
https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/LinuxUserGroups
If your country isn't on the above page then Google for (your country name) "Linux User Group"
SELinux, grsecurity, containers, keep your system updated and don't run random untrustworthy code.
I got away from overpriced Samsung devices a few years ago and have a fairly bloat-free Motorola. Now I want to dump the Google ecosystem. I intend to download all of my pics and files from Drive and the Google cloud. I am not so tech savvy that I can install APKs
You don't need to install any APKs. You can buy phones with /e/OS (a fully de-Googled Android) preloaded, such as the ones sold by Murena. Another option is to buy a cheap/used Pixel phone and flash GrapheneOS, which is another de-Googled Android, but is much more secure than /e/OS. They have a web based installer that's pretty easy to use, you just have to follow the step-by-step instructions on that page - there's no need to even type any commands or anything!
or switch to Linux
Depending on your software requirements and workflow, this could actually be a pretty easy switch. You said you're not very tech savvy, and contrary to popular opinion, Linux is actually very suitable for non-techy people: because such folks have very simple requirements from a PC in general - like surfing the web, checking emails, do some light document or image editing, transferring files, ocassionally print or scan stuff. You know, all the basics. All of which Linux excels at.
Now on the other hand, if you're a geek or a IT pro, or a professional photographer, or someone like that with very specific software requirements / workflow, it'd may a lot more difficult to switch, but for most general, non-techy home users, Linux works very very well. Case in point - both my mum and dad (60+) and many elderly relatives of mine are all happily running Linux since many years now. None of them are tech savvy (except my mum I guess, she actually learnt computers properly, going back to the DOS days), but most of them are total noobs at PCs - in fact my dad didn't even know how to operate a PC until I taught him (which was after his retirement, for reasons...). Most of these folks have been running Linux for over a decade now and had no major issues, afterall, all they need is a web browser and some light document viewing/editing, plus the ocassional prints and scans. They have no need for proprietary apps or nVidia graphics, so Linux has been working for them very well.
If you're in this camp as well, then Linux could be a good option for you. If you also think this is the case, let me know and I can point you in the right direction as to how to get started with this Linux stuff in the easiest way possible.
TIL about PostWatchBot, that seems handy. Thanks!
This was already fixed in 6.1.66. Both are "old" kernels, so it's nothing to worry about, unless you/your distro was deliberately staying on 6.1 for some odd reason (yes, I'm aware 6.1 is LTS, but so is 6.6).
Thank you!
On a random note, as a fellow relic of a bygone era... remember back when Windows used to be customizable, when you could modify just about any file, change themes without a hack, without things like Trusted Installer/Defender getting in your way, or even completely replace your explorer.exe with a different shell like BlackBox? I miss those days.
Voilà:
This is Linux (Debian) running locally on my Android phone (Galaxy Fold 4), with a Win95 theme. I think it's pretty awesome that Linux still lets you do stuff like this, whilst still maintain a good security posture. And letting me relive the memories of the good ol' days. :)
I have been using Windows since 3.1 with MSDOS 6.2 since forever and I have seen everything from Microsoft. At the same time I'm a senior Microsoft engineer and have been for more than a decade
Same here! Grew up using DOS and Win 3.1, and been a Windows sysadmin for a long time. But over the past few years I've been growing increasingly dissatisfied at the direction Microsoft's been going in, particularly the way they've been shoving their half-baked cloud services (and telemetry) onto us, and enterprises, being married to MS, have no choice but forced to comply. At least, that's the case where I live, companies just lap up every new thing Microsoft does and treat it like the next best thing since sliced bread.
I was being turned from an engineer into a middleman, a lackey at the mercy of MS, and I didn't like it one bit. I hated the thought of having my entire career being dictated by one corporation. So I quit my job and finally managed to land a Linux role this year and I'm so much happier. To be honest, it feels a bit weird throwing away my veteran MS hat and all the knowledge that I gained over the years and going back to being a total noob (at enterprise Linux that is), but I'm also learning a lot of cool stuff, but more importantly, I love being in control of our systems again, and no longer being at the mercy at a monopolistic mega corporation.
Nobara, but yea it's a good choice for gaming.
But if you don't have any complex software requirements besides gaming and the usual desktop apps, then Bazzite is a much, much better option. It gets updates much more earlier than Nobara (which is still stuck on Fedora 38), and is much more stable (immutable OS) and more gaming optimised. You can even boot directly into "gaming mode" for a Steam Deck-like experience, with all the same (+more) optimizations that you'd get from the Deck.
I haven't tested it myself but apparently it's supported now. https://areweanticheatyet.com/game/planetside-2
Anti-cheat support in general has been a thing in Linux since the past couple of years, thanks to the efforts of Valve and the Steam Deck's popularity. But not every game works though, depending on the anti-cheat system used and it's implementation, some effort from the dev might be needed to make it compatible. https://areweanticheatyet.com/ tracks the current status of these games, and https://www.protondb.com/ is also a good reference in general to check Linux game compatibility.
... or just use a password manager like a sensible person.
Holy mother of URLs, Batman!
Here's a cleaned up version without all those nasty trackers attached: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Arm-Hammer-ULTRA-MAX-Solid-Antiperspirant-Deodorant-Unscented-2-6-oz/10810917
"People, what a bunch of bastards"