If you use Linux as your primary daily driver, you know the absolute headache that is cloud storage synchronization. While alternative ecosystems offer slick, first-party native clients that hook directly into your file manager, Google Drive users on Linux are notoriously left out in the cold. We are forced to rely on web interfaces or complex, text-heavy terminal tools like rclone that offer powerful backend capabilities but require a tedious setup phase for a feature that should just work.

Looking for a job is hard enough without getting stuck on the cover letter. You know you need one, but staring at a blank page is the worst. This AI cover letter guide provides a simple, free method. We’re going to turn AI into your personal AI cover letter writer. This is a clear way to write a cover letter that gets better results, faster. No tech jargon, no complicated setup.

Moving to a new email service does not have to be complicated. You can back up and move your email using any desktop email client such as Outlook, Thunderbird, Evolution, or Apple Mail on macOS. The entire process comes down to connecting both accounts and moving your folders.

For the past month, I have been working steadily towards securing all of my data from surveillance and becoming an online ghost. It’s a lot of work, but definitely worth the learning process. I have never attempted to fully lock down every aspect of my digital life and digital privacy before, so it’s been a great mental exercise to consider every possible element that goes into identifying someone online and gaining access to data about them.

This guide documents the system that came out of that process.

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1. Core principles

Security scales when it is designed as a system. For deeper context on several of these terms, see NIST Zero Trust, CISA MFA Basics, and EFF on Encryption.

• Zero trust. Verify every component and path.

• Entropy. Long, unique passphrases outperform tool stacking.

• Compartmentalization. Treat devices, accounts, and datasets as separate.

• Zero knowledge encryption. Providers cannot view content.

• Jurisdictional distance. Prefer privacy friendly legal regions.

• Isolation. Keep personal, professional, and anonymous layers distinct.

• Sync chains. Prefer device to device sync instead of identity bound accounts.

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2. Functional stack

Encrypted cloud storage

• Proton Drive

• MEGA

Private DNS

• Quad9

• NextDNS
  Reference: Mozilla DNS over HTTPS

Encrypted email

• Proton Mail

Email aliases

• SimpleLogin

• Firefox Relay
  Reference: Mozilla on email masking

Secure messaging

• Signal

• Session

• MEGA Chat
  Reference: EFF secure messaging guide

Password management

• Bitwarden

• Proton Pass

• MEGA Pass

Two factor authenticators

• Aegis

• andOTP

• FreeOTP

• Raivo

Passkeys and hardware security keys

Passkeys are platform or hardware backed FIDO credentials. Hardware keys are a passkey form factor.

• YubiKey

• Feitian Keys

• SoloKeys

• Google Titan
  Reference: FIDO Alliance passkeys

VPN services

WireGuard is a protocol. Choose a service you trust.

• Proton VPN

• MEGA VPN

• Mullvad
  Reference: Mozilla VPN explainer

Office suites

• LibreOffice

• ONLYOFFICE

• WPS Office

Browsers

• Brave

• Firefox

• Chromium
  Reference: Mozilla privacy features

Operating systems

• MX Linux

• Linux Mint

• Ubuntu
  Reference: Linux Foundation

Location spoofing

• Mock Locations for Android

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3. Step by step implementation

Step 1: Platform hardening

1. Set firmware and BIOS passwords.

2. Enable full disk encryption. On Linux, also encrypt swap.

3. Turn on Secure Boot.

4. Keep background services lean. Disable hardware interfaces you do not need and keep USB ports locked when idle.

5. Create separate OS user profiles for personal, work, and anonymous roles.

Step 2: Network layer

1. Configure private DNS such as Quad9 or NextDNS.

2. Subscribe to a trusted VPN service such as Proton VPN, MEGA VPN, or Mullvad and route all traffic through it.

3. Randomize MAC address on each Wi Fi connection.

4. Review DNS logs to spot anomalies. NextDNS and many routers provide simple views.

5. Keep jurisdiction in mind when selecting exit regions.

Step 3: Identity separation

1. Create isolated accounts for each role.

2. Use SimpleLogin or Firefox Relay for email aliases and forwarding.

3. Use strong, unique passphrases for each account and store them in Bitwarden, Proton Pass, or MEGA Pass.

4. Enroll passkeys on platforms and keep at least one hardware key as a backup.

5. Use separate phone numbers for verification with VOIP or prepaid lines when appropriate.

Step 4: Storage and backup

1. Store active data in Proton Drive or MEGA with client side encryption in mind.

2. Keep offline backups on encrypted external drives and test restoration on a schedule.

3. Rotate keys or passwords on a cadence that matches your threat model.

Step 5: Permissions and sensors

1. Grant permissions only when a function needs them.

2. Keep camera, microphone, and GPS inactive until required.

3. Use mock location for apps that request location without an operational reason.

Step 6: Browsers and sessions

1. In Brave, Firefox, or Chromium, block third party cookies and disable prefetch.

2. Set strict fingerprinting resistance where available.

3. Use separate browser profiles per role.

4. Clear session data on exit for anonymous profiles.
   Reference: Mozilla anti tracking

Step 7: Messaging and email

1. Use Signal or Session for end to end chat, and MEGA Chat when you want storage tie in.

2. Use Proton Mail for encrypted email.

3. Place public facing forms and newsletters behind aliases with SimpleLogin or Relay.

Step 8: Two factor and passkeys

1. Use Aegis, andOTP, FreeOTP, or Raivo for offline TOTP codes.

2. Prefer passkeys for supported services.

3. Keep at least two hardware keys registered and stored in separate locations.

Step 9: Maintenance rhythm

1. Monthly review of accounts, device profiles, VPN and DNS provider policies, and backup status.

2. Quarterly review of browser extensions, startup services, and permissions.

3. Regular alias rotation for high exposure workflows.

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4. Structural advantage

A system built on entropy, isolation, and verification resists correlation. Each component reinforces the rest. As services evolve, this structure adapts without losing clarity or control.

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5. System checklist

✅ Firmware and BIOS passwords set
✅ Full disk encryption and Secure Boot enabled
✅ VPN and private DNS configured
✅ Passkeys and hardware keys enrolled
✅ Password manager in place and unique passphrases used
✅ Email aliases active for exposure points
✅ Secure messaging apps adopted
✅ Encrypted cloud plus offline encrypted backups
✅ Browser profiles separated by role
✅ Monthly and quarterly reviews scheduled

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This is a living system. Keep it simple, keep it disciplined, keep it consistent. When the structure holds, your signal stays yours.

Want your VPN to start automatically when your Wi-Fi connects on Arch Linux with KDE Plasma? You can do this with nmcli or directly in KDE’s NetworkManager settings. This setup ensures your VPN is always active, keeping your connection secure from the moment you go online.

---

Step 1: Show all saved connections

Run this to see your Wi-Fi and VPN profiles:

nmcli connection show

Note the names of your Wi-Fi (e.g., The Promised LAN) and VPN connection.

---

Step 2: Enable Wi-Fi auto-connect

Make sure your Wi-Fi always connects first:

nmcli connection modify "The Promised LAN" connection.autoconnect yes
nmcli connection modify "The Promised LAN" connection.autoconnect-priority 10

---

Step 3: Configure VPN auto-connect

Option A: WireGuard/OpenVPN as VPN profile

If your VPN was imported as a proper VPN type:

nmcli connection modify "The Promised LAN" connection.secondaries "mega-us"

Replace "mega-us" with your VPN’s name.

If you get an error like:

'mega-us' is not a VPN connection profile

…it means your VPN wasn’t recognized as a VPN type by NetworkManager.

---

Option B: Any VPN type (recommended via KDE GUI)

1. Open System Settings in KDE.

2. Go to Connections → select your Wi-Fi.

3. Click Edit → General Configuration.

4. Check Automatically connect to VPN when using this connection.

5. Select your VPN profile from the dropdown.

This works with WireGuard, OpenVPN, L2TP, and all supported VPNs.

Snapd Installation Doesn't Work In Distros That Aren't Ubuntu

I have ran into this issue with several distros now where Snappy's snapd doesn't work. Snapd fails to install any Snappy snap packages.

jonquil@info-demon:~$ sudo snap install skype
error: cannot communicate with server: Post http://localhost/v2/snaps/skype: dial unix /run/snapd-snap.socket: connect: no such file or directory

When I try to work with the Snappy snapd service, the system acts like it doesn't exist. This is what that looks like:

jonquil@info-demon:~$ systemctl start snapd.service
Failed to add /run/systemd/ask-password to directory watch: No such file or directory
Failed to start snapd.service: Unknown unit: snapd.service
See system logs and 'systemctl status snapd.service' for details.
jonquil@info-demon:~$ sudo service snap start[sudo] password for jonquil:
snap: unrecognized service

How To Fix The Snapd Service In Linux

Thankfully, someone in the MX Linux forums clued me in on what was going on after I had Googled this to no avail. There's a current issue right now where Snappy's snapd calls systemctl without running it as PID 1, which causes it to fail. The following is a workaround fix for this which utilizes a script that creates a fake systemctl function.  


sudo apt install snapd

sudo nano /usr/bin/systemctl


Paste the following:

----------

#!/bin/bash

# First parameter should be start or stop
# Second parameter will be the name of a unit file

if [ $# -lt 2 ]
then
echo "usage: $0 start unit-file"
exit 0
fi

if [ $1 == "start" ]
then
what=$(grep What /etc/systemd/system/"$2" | cut -f 2 -d '=')
where=$(grep Where /etc/systemd/system/"$2" | cut -f 2 -d '=')
mkdir -p "$where"
mount $what $where
exit 0
fi

if [ $1 == "stop" ]
then
where=$(grep Where /etc/systemd/system/"$2" | cut -f 2 -d '=')
umount $where
exit 0
fi

----------

Save the text file then:


sudo chmod 755 /usr/bin/systemctl

cd /usr/lib/snapd && sudo ./snapd


Now you should be able to install most Snappy snap packages with ease.

Original Wiki: MX Linux Snap Packages

Pidgin surprisingly is still able to support Facebook Messenger, even though most multi-protocol messenger apps have to use a web wrapper to provide Facebook Messenger functionality. Pidgin just won't include the new Facebook Messenger plugin until revision 3 of libpurple is released. You can download the Facebook plugin yourself and install it, though, to get full Facebook Messenger functionality back in Pidgin.

This can all be done through a plugin called "purple-facebook".

Installing the Facebook Plugin for Pidgin in Windows

1. Download the following zip archive, which contains the libfacebook and libjson-glib libraries: facebookplugin4pidgin.zip
2. Make sure Pidgin is not running.
3. After extracting the library files, move the libjson file to Pidgin's program folder (which will be in C:\Program Files\Pidgin or C:\Program Files (x86)\Pidgin).
4. Move the libfacebook file to Pidgin's plugin directory (*same directory as before*\Pidgin\plugins).
5. Start Pidgin, find the Facebook plugin in your account types list (the one that does not say "(xmmp)" next to it), and use your phone number or email address to set up your login.

Installing the Facebook Plugin for Pidgin in Linux

Rather than be redundant here, I am simply going to direct you towards this page, which has instructions on how to select and download an installation package for your particular distribution.

Source: Pidgin on Facebook

Let's face it. Laptop keyboards (and touchpads too!) suck. They quite often offer no spill protection or durability for their users, and when they break down, it can be quite a pain to break the entire laptop down just to disconnect the keyboard and replace it. This is probably why most folks simply plug in an external keyboard and leave the internal built in keyboard as is. However, sometimes you end up with a punk rock keyboard or touchpad that decides it wants to complain about its malfunction by repeatedly typing unwanted characters that won't stop, or that moves the pointer on your screen at random. In my case, after having one of my kids spill a soda on it, my laptop's keyboard wanted to intermittently type an endless line of "b" and the occasional "n" which was driving me absolutely bonkers and rendering my laptop unusable.

If you do a Google search about it, most of the forum replies are telling people that there is no way you can disable a keyboard or touchpad from Linux. This is not true, at all. Pretty much ANY piece of hardware can be disabled in Linux via the command line.

And now you're going to find out how to do it.

Please note, I am taking the simpler route by using X.Org's xinput to do this. If you are running a terminal only environment, you will need to resort to lsmod to disable your internal built in keyboard or touchpad in Linux.

Open up your terminal and type (or copy and paste) the following:

xput list

Press Enter and you'll get a list of connected modules. You'll want to find your internal built in keyboard and/or touchpad in this list, which should be pretty easy to identify since any USB keyboards/mice will be clearly labeled as USB connected. Make note of the ID number listed beside your keyboard or touchpad, as this will be needed to identify it in the next step which will disable it.


Now type (or copy and paste) the following:

xinput set-prop XX "Device Enabled" 0


Replace the XX in that command with the ID number of the keyboard or touchpad you're wanting to disable, which you found out in Step 1. The 0 at the end of the command means the device is disabled. If you want to enable it again in the future, you can use this same command to do so just by replacing that 0 with a 1.

Please note that upon reboot, this command will no longer be in effect. If you would like the changes to remain permanent, you will need to add the command to /etc/rc.d/rc.local so it is applied at boot time.

Unfortunately it seems that part of the metro city lifestyle along with an increased exposure to folks from all kinds of cultures all over the world is an additional increased exposure to unsavory individuals who are looking for the opportunity to snag a free lunch (on you of course since nothing in life is truly free). In the past 2 years since I started living in a metropolitan city after having grown up in small town environments, I have faced having my wallet stolen or pickpocketed five times. I'm definitely a common target, possibly because I'm a single mom that is often preoccupied with her two little ones while we are out and about. However, not a single one of those times has anyone managed to steal anything of value from me, nor have they managed to cut me off from accessing my bank account funds, even after I cancelled my cards. Thefts happen and are to be expected: you can try to protect yourself from them, but there's always going to be a loophole somewhere. However, you don't have to actually be a victim to wallet pickpocketing and theft when it happens. Here's a list of tips you can use to help protect yourself in the event of your wallet being lost, stolen, or pickpocketed:

1. Don't carry your social security card in your wallet. Most appropriate situations only call for you to know your social security number, not present the actual card. If you don't know your social security number by now, now is the time to learn it. No one can steal a number that's only in your head...
2. Don't carry (much) cash in your wallet. Obviously, if it gets stolen, the cash is gone forever. If you only have debit/credit cards, there's a window of opportunity to cancel them before any damage is done to your finances (not to mention most banks will insure you against theft and restore any missing funds). 
3. Do not carry your cell phone with your wallet. In the case that you lose your wallet or it's stolen, you will need your cell phone to take immediate action. You won't have it if it's gone with your wallet. Avoid wallets with built in cell phone cases. 
4. Create a plan for if you have to cancel the card associated with your bank account so you have a means to funnel funds directly from the account even if the card has been canceled. Of course, for many folks this will mean just a simple trip to their local bank, but for those of us with PayPal, prepaid debit accounts, etc. it will call for a little bit more ingenuity. This will differ depending on the bank. Some ideas though include: keeping checks at home for backup, transferring to your personal PayPal account with a PayPal debit or credit card attached to the account which you keep at home for such an emergency, transferring to a Google Wallet account with an attached Google Wallet card which you keep at home for the same reason, transferring to a prepaid GreenDot account, etc.
5. Be aware of your surroundings and the location of your wallet as much as you possibly can, especially when in close proximity to crowds, at moments of high distractibility, and at night. These are the windows of opportunity thieves look for the most. 
6. Keep your wallet close on your body or deeply secured in your bag to make it more difficult for a pickpocket to go undetected. 

If your wallet gets lost or stolen:

1. Stay calm. Check your facts - the time, place, contents of the wallet, etc. The cops will want a lot of details about the loss/theft.
2. Make sure you will have access to some funds using your preplanned backup method before you cancel your cards. Then cancel your cards ASAP. 
3. After you cancel your cards, file a report with the police immediately. The report will help reduce the costs of recovering any ID cards, and also provide a point of contact should someone recover your wallet and want to return it.
4. Take steps to prevent future incidents by troubleshooting how the incident occurred and brainstorming ways you can prevent similar circumstances surrounding the loss or theft from reoccurring. This may involve changes in the way you treat your wallet or how you carry your cards/cash. 

This guide/how to is written from the perspective of a Ubuntu user, but the concept should work across a wide variety of Linux distributions. It has been confirmed to work in Fedora Linux at least, as well as Ubuntu. I am personally using Kubuntu 15.10.

This should work for all HP/Hewlet-Packard branded laptops, and has been confirmed to work in the Pavilion (DV6, DV7, etc) and Envy series. My laptop is an HP Pavilion DV6-7010US.

Sensitive skin can be pretty fussy about what products you use on it, especially when it comes to facial care. This can be made even more difficult if you have sensitive skin that's acne prone, since most products labeled for treating acne can cause even worse irritation than products that aren't labeled for this use.

I have experienced so much in the past few months that many can only imagine experiencing and have learned so much from those experiences that I know others can gain wisdom from that I really feel I should commit some of it to writing in my blog.

I recently found myself in quite a sticky situation with no internet access (or the ability to set up traditional FIOS/cable access), two weeks to go before I could afford unlimited mobile, and while FoxFi would have proved to be a decent solution in an isolated environment, I couldn't seem to shake off hitchhikers who would make my data usage skyrocket, leaving me worried about losing my cell phone service for over-usage of my mobile data (and FoxFi's WPA2 password function didn't, well, function). Thus the only solution I found left was to root my LG Optimus Extreme (model# LGL40G/L40G) and utilize a wifi hotspot/wifi tethering app that was Android ICS 4.0.3 friendly and designed to take advantage of superuser mode. This actually turned out to be a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, partially due to obscurity, partially due to the information I needed being scattered to the four winds in bits and pieces here and there, and partially due to poorly written guides (sorry folks, thank you for pointing me in the right direction at least, but I did kill several hours on some pretty dumb things like hard resetting just because all the available guides got the process dead wrong).

So here is my complete how to/tutorial on all things wifi hotspotting/wifi tethering with the LG Optimus Extreme (LGL40G/L40G) with Android ICS 4.0.3, right down to rooting this phone if need be and getting wifi hotspotting/wifi tethering going with superuser access. I have taken as much care as possible to make all the steps easy to follow and accurate. Please make a backup of your data before embarking on this journey. Also note there are currently (to my knowledge) no ROMs available for the LG Optimus Extreme (LGL40G/L40G) as of yet, so rooting is purely for the purpose of gaining administrative access for the usage of superuser apps.

A major issue I have had since returning to the Linux distros such as Ubuntu and Linux Mint has been that my Amazon Prime Instant Video has ceased working by default with the Linux version of Adobe Flash. I was constantly being told that I needed to update my Adobe Flash Player by Amazon Prime Instant every time I tried to play a video.

After only about two months of ownership, I have finally managed to get my flat iron to make my 3b curly hair straight!