Vanilla OS, scams, VPNs | c’t uplink 47.5

Vanilla OS is a special Linux system: The distribution looks chic with the untinkered Gnome, has an unchangeable root partition and installs apps according to the container principle. c’t editor Niklas Dierking likes the fact that beginners can quickly find their way around and that Linux experts can install packages from a wide variety of repositories. In some places, however, there are still problems with the first stable version.

For c’t, Markus Montz deals with payment service providers, dealers and sales platforms on the internet. He keeps coming across new scams that criminals use to deceive unsuspecting buyers, but also sellers and larger companies. That’s why he advises observing a few basic rules when trading online, even if the other person seems trustworthy.

For the current c’t focus on VPNs, Dušan Živadinović tested various peer-to-peer VPNs. Their modern structure allows particularly short latencies and a lot of comfort when setting up. He is also impressed by a new VPN service for smartphones, Pretty Good Phone Privacy, which even conceals the identification number of the SIM card, the IMSI.

Also present: Achim Barczok, Niklas Dierking, Markus Montz, Dušan Živadinović

c’t 7/2023 is available at kiosks, in browsers and in the c’t app for iOS and Android.

There is a new video every Friday at 5 p.m. on our new YouTube channel c’t 3003!

(acb)