What are your favorite apps for Zorin?

General Help
1

I spend a lot of time looking at all apps in the repo's and online. I research the hell out of everything looking for what is not only visually pleasing, low resource and above all works.

I would like to see what people are using for the items below

  1. email
  2. browser
  3. vpn
  4. antivirus
  5. chat - something that allows communicating with cell phones
  6. office
  7. cloud storage

That should about do it..

Personally I am using:

  1. thunderbird (its actually not bad unified) I would like to use mailspring. However, the api for gmail has changed to people.api and most mail clients are using older, therefore not connecting.
  2. firebird - love it (allows for avira password manager which is a huge help)
  3. vpn - none
  4. antivirus - none
  5. chat - telegram, flock
  6. office - libra - zorin install
  7. cloud storage - Pcloud

I have noticed that by connecting your accounts in Zorin that there is a problem.

  1. It does not show all files in google drive
  2. It does not work with the contacts built in option for Zorin. Even choosing the right account does not produce any contacts. Not sure whats going on there.

Hope others chime in.. Thanks

3

Email :- Brave
Browser :- Brave
V.P.N :- Proton
Anti-Virus:- Not Required
Chat :- Instagram, Whats app, Telegram, Zorin Forum, LinkedIn etc
Office :- Notepad, Libre (Modified)
Cloud Storage :- Offline 16 TB SSD, Online 2TB (Proton)

2 Likes
4

I was not aware that brave did email. Does the brave browser allow for avira password manager?

5

Brave do not do emails, But it is Easier to bookmark your email website as the sign in data is already stored :man_shrugging:
also, Not many mail client work that great on Ubuntu.
I am Sure it allows a password manager, but certainly it has it's own.

2 Likes
6

I really do like security but having the local machine keep your password imo is not a good idea. (don't want to get off topic) if the machine crashes, well goodbye passwords. Having a 3rd party password manager where you can keep your password might not be the best of options, but I know that when I rebuild the machine and add the extension they will be there. When you get older and have like 50 different things to log into and multiple email accounts, you require more consolidated solutions. Opening up multiple email accounts in a browser, etc.. is not optimal. I am glad it works for you and probably others, but that type of solution won't work well for me. I learned a long time ago that if you are going to buy a printer, buy a printer. Don't buy a printer, scanner, fax, copier AIO. Get the product that does that one thing and does it the best.

Sidenote: I installed vivaldi, which is decent.. I was able to connect to gmail and wow all the folder and colors and stuff. What I found interesting was this: I also had thunderbird open at the same time and 3 emails came into thunderbird non that were junk or spam, but vivaldi only had 1. Interesting right. I then saw this folder on vivaldi "custom folders" and this showed all the emails I had stored 8688. Wow right.. I sat here for quite some time (hours) and went through every email, well 2000. I was able to delete. I might kick myself later for that one email but I think I did thorough job of making sure they could go. I see the benefit of Vivaldi. I really appreciate the browser and the email and so forth in one location, but loading extension, like bridges and using extensions for password and this and that.. well it does not work. It's nice but not there yet..

7

email - Outlook on a virtual machine

browser - Firefox main one and I have ungoogled Chromium installed

vpn - PureVPN and ProtonVPN - through the network settings not through their apps

antivirus - Clam

chat - something that allows communicating with cell phones - None, I don't need or want this

office - I have MS office in the Virtual and LibreOffice on the system

cloud storage - OneDrive, Mega and pCloud - OneDrive/Mega on both Virtual and Zorin, pCloud just on Zorin

8

If you have security problems, we have security answers :joy:. Just Ask
BTW :- I Trust Brave more than anything, with its new crypt save. Everything is saved in the cloud :wink: with my 12 (word) passphrase. So, even if I don't want a backup I have it always :joy:

1 Like
9

@anon6471198 - yes but can you access your passwords on Windows? not that you ever would but can you?

@DeanG - seems like everyone is using a VPN and I used to use Avira VPN cause it was really great. Using Proton to me really bad and unless you pay most of the time the vpn is like 100% full and stuff. Are you paying for the better option. I tell ya if Avira VPN was able to be installed in linux I would use it in a hearbeat. I love proton don't get me wrong but the free version of the vpn is horrible..

10

If you ever get Time, Download the Browser and visit settings/braveSync/setup you can sync/save every setting and password in the crypt cloud and recover everything with the authentication file containing 12 word phrase provided by brave on any Device. Secure and Smart :wink:

1 Like
11

I think one of the biggest issues with linux is trust. I know that sounds crazy but to install something that saves all my passwords with a company I know nothing about, well.. On the other side I firmly believe that these companies that work with linux have the best intentions, but for how long? Does anyone ever do the research to find out if that company is really safe. I mean what do we really know. I give a lot of trust in Avira to contain my passwords. I hate it. But they are a huge company and have secured their place in the industry. Has Brave? Brave could be even better then Avira or others, being a newish guy to linux I have no idea. I think what we need is information on these companies and ensure longevity. As we all know when it comes to linux apps they might be great, but in a year most are forgotten because the person behind it lost interest.

12

This is exactly how I view VPN's.
For most users, what is the actual qualitative difference between their trust in their VPN and their Trust in the ISP?

In Science, we cannot trust ourselves and our biases, so we must use the scientific method to try to reduce bias and influence.
This comes with an assumed flaw: That peer review will always catch an error. That someone checks and verifies all published articles and reports.
This is a serious flaw. Most scientists are just too busy to keep up with peer review. Much goes published and unverified.
And since no one said that paper was wrong... it is assumed true.
A good example of this would be the notion that the human body is mainly microbe - which was promoted as "true" for a very long time. It initially simply began as a quick off-hand guess a respected scientist made. No one dared question it til much later.

Linux is similar. Code being Open Source invites the assumption that "someone" is checking the code.
But is anyone?

1 Like
13

I do not pay for the unlimited, it's what's included with my package. I have it, but I mainly use Purevpn.. I have no issue with Purevpn at all, been using it for years. I only use the Prontonvpn for certain things and as a back up if needed.

I also don't sit here with a vpn on at all times on my laptop either, there's no need for all that.

And I don't install any of their silly apps, they're all junk no matter the OS you put them on. Just input your credentials with the openvpn file into the native network settings and you're good to go.

I don't know anything about Avira's vpn, but I've been happy with Pure as I said. I even have a dedicated IP with them.

And being with Google, MS, Facebook, Apple, etc, etc has turned out well? Being a big company doesn't equate to "safe". And I'm not really sure what you mean by "safe".

You can't go through life being worried about everything at all times. And using a vpn isn't going to make you safe either.

Being new to Linux has nothing whatsoever to do with what you posted.

And being a big company doesn't mean they won't go under, or get bought out by someone else. Google could tell you tomorrow no more email, God knows they discontinue more things quicker than people change underwear.

Nobody anywhere on earth can ensure you longevity on anything. This is just an unreasonable and unrealistic expectation.

I'm not sure what it is you are reading that is instilling all of this in you but whatever it is I suggest you stop listening to it.

I use Bitwarden for a password manager. Am I nervous about using them? No

You know what people have things to worry about? Those going around messing with the core of their system. Or installing things from God knows where because someone on Reddit or some other goofy site said it was a good program. Those people are the ones opening themselves up for trouble.

Actually I don't know this at all.... There are still apps around that have been there since the late 90's - 2000's. They've been around just as long if not longer than MS apps.

14

well said.. So what to do? I think linux is the way to go, there are so many people out there that are so dedicated to this. Can you say the same about windows? I am not talking about caring about the product I am talk about the people out there that spend days, like me staring at the screen researching the hell out of everything to a fault. People who actually care. I don't think the windows community has that. People want to turn on their PC and it works. Have no idea about the command line, dos, etc..

I want to believe that the LInux community sole purpose is to provide a solution that proves nothing is being stolen or hidden, but reliable, completely reliable as a solution to what most people are too blind to see.

If the machine boots and they start their day, all good. Clueless to what might be happening behind the code.

OKAY! we are completely offtopic: I want to hear about the other 1000s of people on this forum and what they are using

15

Email: ProtonMail*, Gmail*, Tutanota*
Browser: Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi
VPN: ProtonVPN
Antivirus: ClamAV, VirusTotal*
Chat: WhatsApp*, Telegram*, Discord*, Matrix*
Phones: None
Office: LibreOffice
Cloud storage: PCloud*

*access through web browser and/or PWA

16

Good point. Tangents are so appealing.

Summary

I agree with this completely. I bet most of us do. Linux is heavily populated by people who do care about Linux.

This, however, I do not believe in. Not one bit.
Much illusion can be shattered by openly discussing the erratic and very anti-FOSS behavior of Red Hat and of the Gnome Foundation.
There is literally almost nothing about Gnome that truly supports the concept of Linux. The Gnome Devs have openly expressed desire to pull out of the GPL on the grounds it conflicts with their "mission."
My personal take on it all is an ugly one.

Linux is doomed.

Those that see and extol what Gnome is doing are shushed and called haters.
Many users are more apathetic. They do not care. They...

Email: ProtonMail, Disroot, Tutanota
Browser: Firefox, Ungoogled-Chrome
VPN: None
Antivirus: None
Chat: None
Phones: Zorin Connect, if I remember to keep it connected...
Office: LibreOffice
Cloud storage: Mega

17

Email: Geary
Browser: LibreWolf
VPN: Proton VPN
Anti-Virus: ClamAV (CLI), only for specific dubiously-downloaded files
Chat: Signal
Office: LibreOffice
Cloud Storage: Offline 2 TB (via Déjà Dup, local configs, etc.), Online 500GB (Nextcloud, for important files) + 500GB (Proton, second backup of important files)

18

replying to you would unfortunately take us off topic. I hear what you are saying. However, we are talking about first trust, not what I heard in the news, what others are saying, etc.. There are definitely long term apps that function due to peoples belief in it.. There are unfortunately 1000's of apps still in the repository that have not been touched in years. I really want to keep on track with the posed question. I am interested in what everyone has to say.. to my new knowledge BITWARDEN does work on windows and is very very praised.. Not to mention VERY reasonably priced.

19

what installation do you use for MEGA? 20GBs FREE! An actual linux installer. One can only hope its secure.. However, wow.. reading a bunch, but would like to install. Which download option should I choose for Zorin?

20

I used the Megasync .deb

It was actually FrenchPress and others that convinced me to give Mega a try (We all know the history of Mega).
It took a strong push for me to give it a chance. It is actually pretty "good" though. There is also a Nemo File Manager Plugin for it.

21

yeah that is not an option.. You have deb 9>11 and ubunti 18 thru 22 and then some others that are specific distro's.