this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2023
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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Install all applications from your package manager.
Don't run things as root.
Don't visit sketchy websites.
Run an ad-blocker that isn't owned by an advertising company.
Can you get a virus just for visiting a sketchy website?
Also, some programs aren't available via my package manager (I use Fedora) so I have to add 3rd party repos. Is there a general security guide for linux?
Thank you!
Highly unlikely. A site could try to exploit unpatched security holes in your browser, but if your browser is up to date, this is unlikely to succeed. Modern browsers are very complex and large so they have lots of weaknesses, but they also get fixed quickly, a lot of eyes are on their code and they utilize sandboxing techniques as well to isolate things from your system.
Still, it's a good idea to harden your browser further yourself, or run it in an additional sandbox.
Check Flatpaks as well.