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So, I'm currently on Kubuntu and I'm not really a fan. I want to take the opportunity to switch to a better distro. Ideally I'd use secureblue but I'm hoping for advice on how practical it is as a daily driver from the people who've used it.
My priorities are:
- Using Linux.
- Using Firefox.
- Security, within reason.
- Using software which treats security with the importance it warrants (If desktop Linux should improve in one area in 2026, it's security).
My options are:
- Fedora Kinoite
- Fedora KDE with some hardening
- Secureblue
My needs are:
- Browsers: Firefox, Mullvad Browser, a Blink-based browser (backup).
- Extensions: Ublock Origin (Lite or otherwise), Noscript, Proton Pass
- Apps: Freetube, Anki, Discord, Threema, Libreoffice, Mullvad VPN, Kwrite, Kolourpaint
- Sound: Bluetooth headphones, Sound, Printing (Optional)
I've stopped using themes, partly because of the security issues and partly because I just don't really like them anymore. I've replaced them with the Plastic window decorations that come default on Kubuntu and a custom colour scheme.
On Firefox:
- I need Firefox because it allows me to create duplicate bookmarks with ease. I manage a lot of things via bookmarks and sometimes they overlap.
- Secureblue has been incompatible with Firefox in the past, but IIRC Firefox recently added support for hardened_malloc. I can't find where I read this though.
- In terms of the security issues with Firefox, I've installed Noscript to prevent untrusted sites from running javascript (especially Wasm). I can swap to a blink-based browser where it requires trusting too many sites.
- Proton Pass ... I don't log directly into it on my computer (only on GrapheneOS) and I don't have my 2FA keys stored on it. I need it for a Passkey because neither Linux nor GrapheneOS support them natively and my government services' 2FA codes requires it's own app which requires the Play Integrity API (bloody Australia). My government services are a very high value target (because Australia).
- I wonder if I really need hardened_malloc in the first place, since with the state of Linux security I'm not sure there's a reason someone would use a memory vulnerability unless I'm being targeted personally (and nobody's gonna do that for me).
Security goals:
- I want to make sure the software I install don't have access to anything they don't need to.
- I want to make sure that any website I visit won't be able to access my file system.
- I want to make sure that my browser extensions won't be able to access my file system.
- I want to use a distro that's somewhat resilient against supply chain attacks.
- Proximity to upstream for timely security patches.
I heard that the sandbox on Fedora (and all major distros) is relatively weak, and pulseaudio is a known escape vector for webpage malware. So I'm not 100% Fedora is reasonably secure.
SB isn't immutable BTW. I wish it was because I like the idea of immutable distros (for people who don't use Arch) but it isn't.
Fedora was one of the first to get rid of pulseaudio and replace it with Pipewire, so that shouldn't be an issue.
I am a bit ignorant about fedora security, but doesn't pretty much everyone run Pipewire now and not pulseaudio?
I wouldn't know. I'm coming here with worries, not facts.
What do you mean by sandbox here? Fedora has selinux by default which adds an extra layer of security. If you really want a "sandbox" qubes is probably the way to go. It runs everything in virtual machines, so if there was a browser escape they would still have to eacape the vm. It would be an very sophisticated attack and nothing you have to worry about.
And pulseaudio is fine lol what you're describing would certainly be assigned a cve and the only cves for pulseaudio are all denial of service except for some back in 2009.
By Sandbox I mean that the apps I install should only have access to the files in a dedicated directory. Mullvad seems to do this on Kubuntu, there's a .mullvad-browser folder in my home directory and whenever I try to upload or download an image using it I find myself unable to navigate away and instead need to use my file manager to do so.
I'm not really interested in QubesOS. As above my first priority is running Linux and while the virtualization in QubesOS interests me it's not an operating system I want to use.
I heard the pulseaudio thing from this source https://profincognito.me/blog/security/browser-engine-security-comparison/ although it was uncited so it may be BS.
Absolutely not true 🤣🤣
Where'd you hear this?
Also, Silver blue is immutable. You are just full of bad info, bud.
I think he's talking about secure blue rather than silver blue (which is immutable) - https://secureblue.dev/
https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/silverblue/
Correct. I assumed they were talking about Secureblue.