Linux-fueled Thoughts Unhinged

I basically stopped watching Linux YouTube videos.

I am dissatisfied with the quality of YouTube videos, especially on Linux.

Although I don't want to sound like an egotistical gatekeeper, this is because a lot of people don't know what they're talking about.

Example Case “Study”: DJ Ware

Look, I don't care if you worked for IBM in the past or whatever. (Or that Mitchell Valentino is one of your Patreon supporters — this guy's name is in too many places.)

There's a reason why none of these Linux YouTubers will ever cover anything “real”, such as Qubes OS or NixOS in sufficient detail.

Luke Smith, DistroTube, Brodie Robertson, Mental Outlaw, and Gardiner Bryant are channels I can't put up with checking on anymore.

I've still had to learn the proper definitions of all Linux topics on my own anyways. Sometimes, I've even had to correct bad patterns these guys set from their own precedence . This is just like unlearning bad habits after self-teaching yourself for long periods of time.

But I'll focus on DJ Ware.

Password Manager Video

For example, DJ Ware made a video on password managers, which I was not impressed with.

If you were dissatisfied with both KeePassXC and Bitwarden, then I don't know what to tell you other than: so, do you want to make your own password manager?

KeePassXC is included in Tails and the free plan from Bitwarden essentially invalidates any reason for LassPass to exist anymore.

(Yes, it's ethical and moral to tell scummy corporations to commit suicide, since U.S. law regards corporations as people.)

Just use Syncthing to perform peer-to-peer (P2P) file synchronization on multiple devices — and double check that the synchronization works!

(I haven't tried Syncthing yet, but I want to! I also want to run my own Nextcloud instance. If I could only pay for a VPS using Monero and use the names of public government officials whom I despise...)

Pegasus Video

So, when there was a video on the Pegasus malware came out, I was curious.

The video ends rather pessimistically: it states something something among the lines that there isn't much to be done.

It's not exactly 100% complete, though it's true. Pegasus is mostly used in targeted attacks by nation states which aren't knowledgeable to match the tradecraft of the NSA and therefore have to purchase their respective ways to conduct targeted surveillance.

Here are some ways to defend against Pegasus (if you got the motivation and some resources (enough time and funds) to do so:

1. Not to be a complete ignorant cargo cult simp for GrapheneOS, but Daniel Micay's Twitter thread speculating on GrapheneOS hypothetically going against Pegasus is somewhat convincing enough that I'd take GrapheneOS any day of the week to go head to head and toe to toe with Pegasus if my life depended on it (but definitely get advice from a professional before doing so).
2. Don't put your SIM card in the smartphone you wish to protect from target surveillance attacks, if SIM-based attack vectors are unacceptable. Currently, I place my SIM card in the Light Phone II. Yes, it's probably a security disaster, because its LightOS is built on Android 8 (which is currently 4 years old by now, even though it's still my favorite iteration of the Android UI on normal smart phones), but let's be honest — how likely will NSO Group would have Pegasus likely to work with the Light Phone II? Not very likely. It would make more sense for NSO Group to target the most Android devices as they are out of the box. Yet, because there are so many Android handsets (due to fragmentation, which could be its own self-contained discussion), Android is actually more secure
   • On an unrelated note, this is why I patiently await for the Mudita Pure phone to come out, since managing calls and SMS messages is so cumbersome. The physical number pad brick design paradigm, which is exemplified by the Nokia 3310, is the better form factor that isn't using a low latency touch screen.
3. If you already quoting Snowden on how Pegasus shouldn't exist, then you should also know that consumer-available Android, as mentioned above, is actually more secure by fragmented obscurity, even out of the box — which isn't trivial, though also an orthogonal approach to security that isn't very robust and scalable.

Conclusion, Dissatisfaction Without Ego

I hope my dissatisfaction comes from wanting higher and more consistently defined standards, instead of gatekeeper egoism that is quite prevalent in online privacy+security communities.

This isn't just limited to just privacy+security. I'm quite dissatisfied with YouTube videos.

For example, I can't really get a “genuine” random review on the System76 Launch Keyboard.

I also can't find any decent reviews from “normal people” on the ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptops. (Though, to be honest, most normal people aren't buying new ThinkPads for themselves, let alone recording and sharing their experiences without a big YouTube Channel or that each year's iteration of the X1C isn't even worth talking about every year for even big channels — unless you're Lewis from Unbox Therapy. Let's be real here, the only reason why dbrand has X1C skins is because of Lewis.)

The Framework laptop is a bit better, along with some occasional reviews of System76 laptops from regular people.

However, no one is talking about the Precursor device. Or how the current ThinkPad Ultra Docking Station “just works” on Linux — no need to fret over using Windows to update the firmware.

(However, I'm pretty sure you'll need Windows to update the firmware for something like the ThinkPad Universal Docking Station (which has no Thunderbolt USB-C ports???) — but I could be wrong. I won't know until I try this. At least the ThinkPad USB docks with Thunderbolt will work with the ThinkVision M14 external display.)

(Oh gosh, why are there no Thunderbolt compatible ThinkPad USB docks? Don't tell me Lenovo's going to blame the chip shortage for this?!?)

(Gosh, why is Lenovo's site so slow when I use Mullvad VPN??? I'm not going to leak my IP address just so that the site can track my real IP address more easily.)

No one talks about how System76 laptops (or any of its desktops) are products that aren't made to be bought every single year and are actually made to last — which is why on the surface its devices seem to be more expensive and aren't as high on the computation power to price ratio as other megacorporations making laptops with giant economies of scale. Additionally, no one talks about how System76 laptops have coreboot. (I'd have to do more research to see if System76 desktops also have coreboot.) Also Framework is slowly embracing open EC firmware — even though the title isn't 100% complete, it's allegedly a good first step for Framework. (Don't make good the enemy of perfect, I suppose.)

No one talks about methods to keep the firmware of even ThinkPad laptops up-to-date with $ fwupdmgr from fwupd.

Or lastly, how the Logitech C930e Webcam is probably the best 1080p webcam from Logitech (before its crazy 4K webcam — which doesn't matter to me, since I don't even have 4K displays to test on and make sure Linux works properly with 4K resolutions).

For example, I view Nexpo as a really cool guy (at least in online presentation) who has some interesting stories to tell with a bit of research (and hopefully not in an unhealthy parasocial manner).

However, he hasn't posted much. YouTube is changing, but it's not the main reason why I can't use YouTube anymore for growing my Linux knowledge. (I'll also try my best to support my favorite YouTubers via Patreon when I get more steady income.)

A lot of it is not easily conveyed in a video format, and technology changes so much that any videos I made could be outdated. However, if you've made it this far into the post, then you probably have the requisite critical thinking to do so.

Honestly, the interviews with Jeremy Soller in the more beginner geared podcast “Linux for Everyone” is a much better learning resource in the long term than all of the previous YouTube channels I've listed.

Good luck in your Linux journey — and just read the darn Arch Wiki yourself instead of getting a lossy regurgitation that has a 75% chance of being polluted with watered down versions of alt-right conservative Pepe memes.