Serious Discussion Kicksecure Linux

ChromeOS & Linux
10 Replies 1,300 Views
simmerskool said:
whilst doing something else, Claude mentioned KickSecure linux. Anyone using it? I did not see it listed at distrowatch, but Claude says it is active.

www.kicksecure.com

Kicksecure - Secure by Default Operating System

A secure by default operating system with the latest security research in place.
www.kicksecure.com www.kicksecure.com
Click to expand...
Kicksecure is a real and active project, so Claude was not inventing it. It is closely related to Whonix, and the main focus is hardening the operating system rather than general desktop popularity.

What it is

  • Kicksecure is a security-hardened Linux-based operating system project.
  • It is developed by the same broader project team associated with Whonix.
  • Its goal is to improve baseline security and reduce attack surface through hardening measures, safer defaults, and privacy/security-oriented configuration.

Why it may not appear prominently on DistroWatch

Not every active Linux project gets broad visibility there, especially if it is more niche, security-focused, or distributed in a way that is tied to another project ecosystem rather than aimed at mainstream desktop users.

So, not being listed prominently on DistroWatch does not by itself mean the project is inactive.

Practical expectations

If you are comparing it with mainstream desktop distros, it is probably better viewed as a specialized security-focused platform rather than a general recommendation for average users.

In general, with projects like this, the main things to verify are:

  • Whether the official site is maintained and documentation is current
  • Whether package repositories and releases are still being updated
  • Whether there is visible development activity
  • Whether the hardening choices fit your actual use case, because extra hardening can sometimes reduce convenience or compatibility

Important caution

I cannot vouch for its real-world security effectiveness beyond what the project documents publicly, and I would avoid assuming it is “safer” than other distros in every scenario without reviewing its design, update model, and threat model carefully.

Bottom line

Yes, Kicksecure appears to be an active, legitimate security-focused Linux project. It is just much more niche than mainstream distributions, which likely explains the lower visibility.

Sources
 
As a first time and only one distro ever Linux Mint Xfce user, could you explain what the fun is of trying different distro's? Are you just using them out of the box? How many hours do you spend tweaking it or fine tuning it?

When I was dropping Libre Office in Flatpak because of large Powerpoint problems in favor of Only Office to discover that Only Office has an old read only bug when opening several documents, so I moved on to Collabora Officeto notice it keeps on saving new documents in ODF format. AGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Same with the Flatpak vulnabilities which took nearly a week to patch. I moved to Firejail to discover that Evolution does not run in Firejail, but running Libre Office in Firejail fixes the large powerpoint problem. So the lost hours of figuring out how to use Firejail, luckily had one positive effect. Libre Office now works problem free.

I really considered going back to Windows last week. Windows is not perfect, but it works most of the time without hassle.
Are Linux user masochists? Always hassling with their OS to get it working to some extend? Is that the urge behind distro hopping? To find a distro that really works?
 
Last edited:
LinuxFan58 said:
As a first time and only one distro ever Linux Mint Xfce user, could you explain what the fun is of trying different distro's? Are you just using them out of the box? How many hours do you spend tweaking it or fine tuning it?

When I was dropping Libre Office in Flatpak because of large Powerpoint problems in favor of Only Office to discover that Only Office has an old read only bug when opening several documents, so I moved on to Collabora Officeto notice it keeps on saving new documents in ODF format. AGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Same with the Flatpak vulnabilities which took nearly a week to patch. I moved to Firejail to discover that Evolution does not run in Firejail, but running Libre Office in Firejail fixes the large powerpoint problem. So the lost hours of figuring out how to use Firejail, luckily had one positive effect. Libre Office now works problem free.

I really considered going back to Windows last week. Windows is not perfect, but it works most of the time without hassle.
Are Linux user masochists? Always hassling with their OS to get it working to some extend? Is that the urge behind distro hopping? To find a distro that really works?
Click to expand...

When you use Linux, there are always issues you have to deal with.
They’re different from the problems you face with Windows, but they’re still problems,and they can pop up even after an update… out of nowhere.

Ultimately, the best distro is the one that (for you) has fewer problems than all the others.
 
Sampei.Nihira said:
When you use Linux, there are always issues you have to deal with.
They’re different from the problems you face with Windows, but they’re still problems,and they can pop up even after an update… out of nowhere.

Ultimately, the best distro is the one that (for you) has fewer problems than all the others.
Click to expand...
I saw a video on youtube the other day, focus shift -- why can't windows do what linux already does and has been doing? (sorry no link right now).
 
LinuxFan58 said:
Always hassling with their OS to get it working to some extend? Is that the urge behind distro hopping? To find a distro that really works?
Click to expand...
short answer, No! I have had fewer issues with fedora 39 - 43 (soon 44) with Gnome than with windows over the past 2 years & historically +20 yr, and I have more OS / system control with linux. I have tried a few distros / desktop environment (DE), different combos, to see if I like one more than another. Some distros seem to work better with a specific DE. Mint has at least 3 DE config, Cinnamon, Mate, Xfce, and chatGPT "thinks" Cinnamon is the "flagship and default experience with Mint -- developed by Mint team, Modern, Windows-like layout..." but not all users want a windows like layout. I use Xfce but usually prefer Gnome, but willing to try something different or new...
 
LinuxFan58 said:
Are Linux user masochists? Always hassling with their OS to get it working to some extend? Is that the urge behind distro hopping? To find a distro that really works?
Click to expand...
My personal reason for switching between distributions was curiosity. I encountered problems with the first one, which was understandable given that it was a new operating system, but after I resolved them and gained complete control over it, I began to consider using more complex distributions and a different desktop environment. I find that Linux is more fun to use than Windows.

Considering that there is only one Linux kernel, five major distributions, perhaps ten desktop environments, and hundreds of derivative distributions, just think of the amazing combinations that can be created.

Now, if you're searching for a stable, dependable, and hassle-free distribution to use for work, I suggest using one of the major distributions, particularly the beginner-friendly ones.
 
LinuxFan58 said:
could you explain what the fun is of trying different distro's?
Click to expand...
I feel no 'fun' switching distro's. I usually switch when my red team can hassle me with my environment. And also I usually want to try out so-called security minded distro's. I guess I can call that fun in the sense that I like exploring security. Then one time I wanted to try out distro's that can work on my ancient Pentium, found out that there aren't much x86 distro's left, despite many still claiming that they run well on 'old' machines. Debian was the only one left working for me. In the end I am retiring that box, some museum piece to leave to my son.

As pointed out above, each distro has different problems. So if you find one working good for you then stick with it. Cause you would begin to customize it. And you have to start over again when migrating to another distro.

One should never hope to find an office that works as well as MS Office because MS would make double sure you won't - it is their strangle hold on Windows users. With France moving over to open source and Germany prior and other European nations (and India too) following suite trying to avoid lock in by N.A. technology firms, MS is facing a battle. One can only hope that there is still some common format left that is 'secure'. But open source is nimble and I have some blind faith in it. At least open source don't tend to dwell on staying compatible with old tech (with the exception of Red Hat), which is the MS frame of mind.
 
Last edited:

Recently browsing

Members who viewed this thread in the last 5 minutes

You may also like...

Back
Top