I’d like to install/run Kicksecure from my “EAGET USB 3.2 Solid State Pen Drive” as described here. (Im not set on Kicksecure, just read about it on privacyguides; open for suggestions! I just want something … well secure and easy to use.

… However, my Windows PC does not recognize the USB with Debian as a bootable medium.

What I did:

  1. Download debian-live-12.5.0-amd64-xfce
  2. Flash it to USB with balenaEtcher
  3. Try to boot from it in all possible ways

I also tried other Linux distributions like Mint and Ubuntu … nothing gets recognized on that USB, expect Tails. After it recognizes it as UEFI OS and I select Harddisk Mode.

Tails is amazing, love it! But I just don’t really need Tor, and mostly I need to use an App that will simply not connect via the Tor network and cannot be configured to do so.

Thank you very much 😊

Edit: Not everything can boot on windows I guess. But in my case Ubuntu suddenly could after turning off the PC and remove it from its power source.

  • @[email protected]OP
    1•9 months ago

    Appreciate it a lot, thanks. What Distro would you recommend running from a USB?

    Beside security concerns about stuff that I don’t understand, my only real needs are:

    • Kleopatra (to generate keys and passwords my Windows will never know about)
    • And this fucking App that will not connect to the internet on Tails.
    • @[email protected]English
      3•9 months ago

      Security is really hard. The most vulnerable part of any computer system is you, the user. Even a 100% secure computer can still be attacked if you can fool the user into approving malicious activity.

      I struggle to recommend something specific, but I do recommend arming yourself with knowledge about security, what it means, and what you hope to achieve with it. Use things that have lots of eyes on them that get attention from security experts, such as popular distributions with good reputations. A vanilla Debian system, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint are going to be extremely secure out of the box, but even then I rather have a smart user in front of an unpatched Windows machine with no antivirus than an uneducated user on Tails.

      • @[email protected]OP
        2•9 months ago

        like i said, i tried mint, does not work from that stick, only tails works. what i want to achieve is not much:

        • create files that i cannot decrypt in my windows, even if i have the keys or the password, which i both dont have. (already done in tails)
        • run this one single app on a secure usb, so when my windows or phone have a virus/stolen/lost, this app is not there and not in danger.
        • @[email protected]English
          3•9 months ago

          I’m sorry but I’m not sure how to help further because I don’t know enough about how tails booting is different from how Mint boots.

          • @[email protected]OP
            2•9 months ago

            ah crazy, i made it work with Ubuntu 22.04.4 LTS!

            For some reason i had to unplug the PC before restarting. Then it got found as UEFI and could boot.

            The full installation on the USB was a bit dirty, as i put the Live Ubuntu in a Virtual Machine and installed it from there. So i typed the full disk encryption and login passwords in Windows … but I wont be too paranoid about that one now 😅

            • @[email protected]
              2•9 months ago

              Look into Windows Fast Startup I think that was the cause. (It will bug you in the future if you want to dual boot linux)