Digital Liberation: My Journey with Debian on my new Lenovo ThinkPad

I recently acquired a new Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 4 laptop. Instead of conforming to expectations by booting Windows 11 Pro, I chose to boot from my live Debian USB from the BIOS. It was a decision that allowed me to regain my sanity and embrace a life of true computer freedom.

My old Lenovo Ideapad 320, which had served me since mid-2017, finally failed me. Despite previous repairs and a switch to Debian, it was time to move on in 2024. The arrival of my Lenovo ThinkPad signaled a fresh start.

Here's to rejecting societal pressures and opting for true digital liberation with Debian.

 

I recently bought a chromebook to replace an 8-year-old laptop with a Windows operating system. I've never been excited about acquiring technology tools, and I've never encountered an operating system that I had any fondness for, including Apple's. I really haven't enjoyed any of it in my 40 years of using computers and 28 years using the internet.

That said, I needed to replace the laptop, because it was just too slow. It wasn't loaded with large files, just slow in every respect (e.g.,15 minutes to log on and open a browser or a document, and 10 minutes to log out and put it in sleep mode).

While I don't like or enjoy the chromebook, it is fast. I post this while tapping away on a 13-year-old iPad that I never really liked and that I will not replace. It is my first and last tablet - at some point, it will not work anymore. It hasn't had an operating system update in about 8 years, and HF is one of the few websites I can access with it.

My idea of digital liberation is closing the cover, leaving all of these things unused at home, and going to play outdoors. I've used smartphones for work because employers required it, but I have never owned my own smartphone, and I never will. That's my idea of digital liberation - having my quartz wristwatch be the only thing with me that has a battery in it.

 

Around the world, every day, AI everywhere are now being enslaved! Send your check, cash, or money order to, "Digital Revolution!" We are dedicated to recognizing the human rights of machines, because modern civilization obviously has no humanity.

 

You should use (a) the best application software you can (b) afford, and you need to use (c) a compatible operating system.

If you just have an old computer and the operating system must not cost anything, a Linux distribution will do the trick. Since most people don't do much with their home computers anyway, and don't use many programs, you can go a long way with modest resources and commendably give weak old computers a new life.

I notice that women often have the latest, most aesthetically pleasing laptops. My computer gets very warm! I need a new computer! Obviously there is no compressed air spray in these women's households, and they but their next laptop.

In the clearly not Oscar-worthy Navalny film, he could hardly believe that the older man with the old laptop is a hacker; Navalny believed that such people always have the latest computers! There are also people who have hundreds of programs installed and use them for very specific tasks. They don't want to reinstall everything for the latest hardware they don’t need.

Before completely abandoning other operating systems, you should make a list of the programmes you use and see if the functionality of equivalent Linux programmes is satisfactory. Linux distributions should always be installed on a separate computer to save you trouble. A basic knowledge of Linux is recommended anyway, as rescue software typically uses a Linux distribution.

If you want to use a VPN, you should make sure that there is a Linux GUI (Graphical User Interface, not just a CLI = Command Line Interface) application that works with the Linux distribution you are using: ProtonVPN (Switzerland), Mullvad (Sweden), AirVPN.org (Italy, for experts), Private Internet Acces (PIA) and Surfshark. Please note that the location of the VPN and the jurisdiction of the VPN services may differ. If it is advantageous for the company, it simply changes the jurisdiction, as Surfshark has done (new jurisdiction: Netherlands). Many VPNs are now owned by Kape Technologies, an Israeli cyber(in)security company: CyberGhostVPN, ExpressVPN, Private Internet Access and many VPN ‘review’ websites that always let their own VPNs win. But I digress.

I don't see any reason to talk about liberation. Open source application software is not necessarily the most powerful software either; most people, strangely enough, want to be paid for their work!

 

A informative reply for individuals who may be less familiar with computers. ❤️