What is your desktop OS?

Olive it doesn’t like anyone’s graphics card 😂

mmmm
Yeah I read that on their forums the other day, I am now only working in VM's that I will be able to export when I change hardware

Olive I just use it for secure browsing and research etc, it’s also my airgapped office suite. I have to use a Mac, iPad and an iPhone for work which I play on if I feel like it - so this aspect somewhat missing from Qubes doesn’t matter to me.

raccoondad jackFang For a beginner Manjaro might be of interest if they want pacman + a clean desktop

Manjaro is not a good choice for a few reasons. It delays updates, mixing it with AUR is a mess and they fucked up basic security things like renewing certificates too many times.

Better use EndeavourOS. Will give you a minimalistic Arch install with an easy-to-use installer without the downsides of Manjaro.

Mint is amazing!

Anyone knows if Linux Kodachi is going to revive?

Currently I only use Windows 11 Pro. Tried to use Linux (Mint & Steam OS mostly) as a daily driver for a while. Originally, I just wanted to try W11 out briefly when I got my new laptop and then reinstall Linux, but I ended up sticking with it. I'm probably in the minority with that opinion, but the UI of Windows 11 is beautiful and mostly really user friendly. And I'm tired of looking for work arounds in Linux, can't decide on a distro (though I'm very interested in VanillaOS and ZorinOS) and honestly don't see much of a reason why I should give up on the convenience that windows gives me. Of course I've debloated it as much as possible with my own NTLite ISO and the CTT Tool (love that tool!) and activated bitlocker. I think for my threat model that is sufficient, though of course I still feel a bit "naked" using Windows.

Clueless

"but the UI of Windows 11 is beautiful and mostly really user friendly.", understandable

"And I'm tired of looking for work arounds in Linux", VERY understandable

I struggle to use Linux sometimes and I have my Linux+ cert...maybe that says more about me than Linux but still, its not always easy to fix a very specific issue.

TheGodfather Better use EndeavourOS.

EndeavourOS is a young OS (2019).
It's your main OS ?
Or you use it through an hypervisor ?

Windows 3.1 - never change a running system.

I use Linux Mint Debian Edition. (LMDE6)
I don't like where Ubuntu is going with snaps (and the Amazon market) and formerly spying on the search-feature. (Not sure if they are still doing that)
So in the long run I don't like to be stuck with a Ubuntu-based system even though Mint never implemented these spying tools or forced snaps. (Mint is IMO very good in keeping their stuff clear of such nonsense)
Debian also seems a bit lighter on resources than its Ubuntu counterpart.
For gaming I have a separate SSD running Batocera Linux. (Which will run automatically when inserted during boot)
This way I can select both modern and retrogames from a jukebox-like interface.

Murcielago I've got a job offer for you, haha

Hat It's your main OS ?

It's one of the OSes I use. I basically use it for the fast installation process to get a running Arch system. I found the Arch installation too error prone and especially Archinstall is extremely buggy. But I don't use it as is. I do a lot of security related modification after installation. I have plenty of MAC policies, kernel hardening, some sandboxing and a few other things to apply.

Clueless the CTT Tool (love that tool!)

Do yourself a favor and stay away from these tools, especially, if they come from YouTubers like CTT. Most YouTubers are entertainers and not security experts.

Clueless I still feel a bit "naked" using Windows.

You can make Windows a lot more secure by applying Microsoft's security baselines and WDAC. This will make Windows quite secure for a desktop OS. You might also want to take care of most privacy invasive stuff with WRTLFB, but you need to patch it to not block security related things like Windows updates. It will take some time, reading and learning and getting used to group policy, but might be worth it if you want to stick to windows and harden it.

Clueless the UI of Windows 11 is beautiful and mostly really user friendly

The UI is fine indeed, although still not consistent, especially the settings and configuration menus are still a mess. Windows is just user friendly, if you use it as is without a lot of hardening and don't worry about all the little privacy-invasive things you need to take care of and you are used to using Windows. Once you are used to a few years of using Linux distros, and you come back to windows it might feel the other way around. I use both and feel more home on Linux, despite having spent way more years on Windows.

Pocketstar I don't like where Ubuntu is going with snaps

Despite its flaws, Snaps are still better than the native outdated packages without any confinement which Ubuntu and Debian repos provide. Backporting just a few known high-severity security patches is a fundamentally flawed approach. It is recommended to stick as close as possible to upstream versions.

Pocketstar Mint is IMO very good in keeping their stuff clear of such nonsense

The only good thing about Mint is it's user-friendlyness. Too many security downsides to actually use it.

Currently Windows 11 Enterprise trial with custom GPO policies* that I have backed up to an external HDD for the inevitable time when I have to reinstall because the trial expired.

*goodbye to you, Microsoft Copilot and your family of annoying bloat

Relaks when I have to reinstall because the trial expired.

Is massgravel not an option for you?

TheGodfather Too many security downsides to actually use it.

Go on....

TheGodfather It's a crack that requires admin rights...