Safest operating system?

[gangrel]

Malware's becoming a major PITA. Exposure risks...even if you try to be safe...are just increasing, and removal is getting to be HARD. So what I am considering is devoting a relatively small box to nothing but the web. Why? If I have to absolutely wipe the box and reinstall, all I'd lose is browser bookmarks.

So...the two options springing to mind are Chrome and Ubuntu. They can also both run on quite inexpensive hardware. Comments on these? Or any other options I should consider? Windows is clearly overkill, and clearly NOT safe. Yes, I can load up on 3 or 4 levels of malware protection in Windows...but that also causes false-blocking problems. (I've seen Avira do this.) If that's the best choice...well...ok. I'll go that way. I'm investigating options.

 

[royalcrown]

You're right on the wired VM on a wirelest host thing . They have less to worry about just treating it as ethernet.

I am NEVER gonna worry about someone going Mission Impossible or NCIS on my system. That's a straw man that's been run through an incinerator. If THAT were my concern, I DARN sure wouldn't be asking here.

Valid point that an extra level of security would be possible by rebuilding from a distro every time. Seems like the hard part would be updating the distro. And it's an open question whether the additional security would be worth the trouble of the extra steps. Overall, I don't see that. And there's another reason: I can't completely avoid using the net on the host. Windows update, if nothing else.

OH, quick point about drivers. I think VMWare is covering MOST of that for you. One thing I know: my VM tells me, it's on a wired connection. The *computer* isn't; it's on wireless. So I'm thinking that the VM creates a port that acts like a wired connection. I had NO configuration I had to actually do. It's working quite well so far.

 

[itmoba]

I am NEVER gonna worry about someone going Mission Impossible or NCIS on my system. That's a straw man that's been run through an incinerator. If THAT were my concern, I DARN sure wouldn't be asking here.

Valid point that an extra level of security would be possible by rebuilding from a distro every time. Seems like the hard part would be updating the distro. And it's an open question whether the additional security would be worth the trouble of the extra steps. Overall, I don't see that. And there's another reason: I can't completely avoid using the net on the host. Windows update, if nothing else.

OH, quick point about drivers. I think VMWare is covering MOST of that for you. One thing I know: my VM tells me, it's on a wired connection. The *computer* isn't; it's on wireless. So I'm thinking that the VM creates a port that acts like a wired connection. I had NO configuration I had to actually do. It's working quite well so far.

I would certainly hope so, but it's not much of a straw-man fallacy because the comment was intentionally founded on wit and facetiousness. As I said, rebuilding (updating) the live-distribution is a little more complex and a lot less orthodox when compared to the usual venues. Is it really worth it? That depends on the cards you're holding. If you're Julian Assange, I'd say "yes." But, as you poignantly noted, such a question wouldn't be asked on these forums .