The Ultimate Combo: Fedora - Brave - Protonmail – For Kirksville, MO

Take Control: Fedora/Ubuntu + Brave + ProtonMail#

Switching from Windows to a Linux distro combined with privacy-focused apps is one of the most effective, low-cost ways to improve privacy, security, and control over your computing environment.

I’m offering this conversion service to Kirksville and neighboring towns.

Two recommended stacks:

• Fedora → Brave → ProtonMail
• Ubuntu → Brave → ProtonMail

Why these choices:

• Fedora and Ubuntu: well-supported, stable Linux distributions with large communities, frequent security updates, and broad hardware compatibility.
• Brave: a privacy-first browser with built-in ad and tracker blocking, HTTPS enforcement, and optional Tor integration.
• ProtonMail: end-to-end encrypted email with a strong privacy policy and easy web/mobile access.

Benefits:

• Stronger privacy by default (fewer telemetry and integrated trackers).
• Improved security through faster updates and hardened tooling.
• Greater user control over software and configuration.
• Low or no cost for core software and services.

Recommendation:

• Choose Fedora if you want more cutting-edge packages and a shorter release cycle.
• Choose Ubuntu if you prefer broader commercial support and a longer-term release cadence.
• Install Brave as your daily browser and use ProtonMail for email to minimize tracking and improve communications privacy.

Note: For some experienced Windows users this is a lifestyle change – expect a short learning curve. The privacy and control gains are substantial and often worth the effort.

Why Convert to FBP / UBP Stack#

Fedora / Brave / Protonmail OR Ubuntu / Brave / Protonmail

Most modern systems like Windows and macOS now come with more tracking, cloud accounts, and built-in services that collect data in the background. They are convenient, but they also send out more information than many people realize and make it harder to stay in control of your own device.

If you prefer a computer that is quieter, more private, and easier to understand, switching to open systems and privacy-focused tools can cut down on unwanted data sharing. It is a practical way to keep more control over how your computer behaves and what it sends out.

Let us analyze why the Fedora > Brave > Protonmail stack is ideal for security, power, and reliability.

Fedora or Ubuntu – The Benefits#

User Friendly#

Desktop Linux systems such as Fedora and Ubuntu are user friendly. Gone are the days when people could rightly say “Linux is hard and complicated”. That is no longer the case.

Hardened Against Malware / Viruses#

Linux systems are more secure against viruses and malware for several reasons:

1. Linux runs the entire internet. They are battle-hardened through continuous exposure and testing and improvement.
2. Linux is built in a very permission-oriented way. It is very hard to write malware that gets into user’s machines.
3. Linux is less of a target in general, because most vulnerable users are Windows users.
4. Linux Distros generally use package managers for their software – these in turn guard what is available to users.

Generally speaking, you will not have to worry about malware in Linux environments.

This is especially true of Fedora, which also contains SELinux

Not Created to Spy / Datacollect#

Linux systems are created for industry needs first. Its prioritization for task is as very different than Windows.

Metaphorically Windows is built like a modern minivan: lots of comfort features, lots of attachments, and plenty of things you don’t need watching you while you use it.

Linux is built more like something you’d see come out of Sydenstricker: purpose first, power first, no nonsense, no spying. It is a tool meant to work for you, not collect from you.

That is the difference in one sentence: Windows feels like a product you are using. Linux feels like equipment you own.

Linux does not phone home, track what you do, or collect your information for ads or upsells. Because it runs without all that background chatter, it uses less of your internet and gives you far stronger privacy by default. It is quieter, faster, and respects your space.

Stable, Fast, and Long-Lived#

Linux systems generally stay fast for years because they do not load your machine down with background programs, trialware, or forced system services. A five-year-old Windows laptop often feels slow simply because of what Windows piles on top.

Fedora and Ubuntu stay lean. They boot quickly, run smoothly, and age gracefully. Most people in Kirksville who switch notice that their computer suddenly feels newer without replacing a single part.

No Forced Updates or Surprise Reboots#

One of the biggest frustrations with Windows is the constant pushing of updates, restarts, and cloud-linked features. Some updates are useful, but many are unnecessary or disruptive.

Linux puts you in control. You choose when to update. You choose what to update. Your work does not get interrupted because the system has decided it is time to reboot itself. This alone is a major quality-of-life upgrade.

No Subscriptions Hidden Under the Hood#

Windows has been slowly moving toward subscription-style features: account logins, cloud storage tie-ins, Office upsells, and advertising in the Start Menu. These are not malicious, but they are designed to funnel users into Microsoft services.

Linux does not play that game. There is no subscription pressure, no prompts to sign in, no nag screens. You install it. You own it. You use it.

Brave Browser#

Brave Browser is a powerful privacy-focused browser that, in my opinion, is a necessity in our day.

Why?

Since the internet began, marketing and tracking have become criminally invasive. This is a very big subject. But in short: users need protection from what we might call “acceptable spam” and “acceptable voyeurism,” where companies track you, watch you, and compete constantly for your attention and money.

Kill it.

Use Brave Browser.

Brave is a browser built to stop the tracking circus. It blocks ads, trackers, fingerprinting scripts, and the endless cookie pop-ups most sites use to squeeze data out of you. It runs faster because it isn’t hauling surveillance equipment behind every tab. Brave Search avoids profiling, doesn’t rely on Bing the way DuckDuckGo does, and keeps results clean. The browser includes optional tools like a VPN and an integrated AI assistant, but the core value is simple: it gives you a quiet, private, fast web by default, without relying on a stack of extensions or trusting Big Tech promises.

Safe Browsing Perfected#

Before Brave, most privacy-minded users relied on Firefox with a stack of add-ons: an ad-blocker, anti-tracking extensions, cookie managers, and tools like the DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials extension. This setup still works well today and can be very private.

Brave takes that same idea and builds it directly into the browser. Instead of relying on multiple extensions, Brave blocks trackers, ads, fingerprinting scripts, and unwanted connections at the browser level. This means fewer moving parts, less configuration, and less chance of something breaking after an update. The privacy protections are automatic, consistent, and lighter on system resources.

The biggest of the big guns is the Tor Browser, but that is impractical for casual use. Brave also offers a “Private Window with Tor,” which sends your browsing traffic through the Tor network. It is not a full replacement for the Tor Browser, but it gives you a layer of anonymity that normal private browsing modes do not. Think of it as Chrome’s private tab, except this one actually hides your IP instead of just clearing your history.

ProtonMail#

Google’s Gmail quietly mines your inbox. It scans your messages for receipts, travel plans, bills, and anything else it can parse, building a silent dossier of your spending, habits, and movements. Google once even showed users a full log of their purchases pulled straight from email—then buried the feature after backlash.

Even if the company swears it no longer uses this data for ads, the machinery still runs: your mail is read, classified, and folded into Google’s internal profile of you. The danger isn’t a single misdeed; it’s the fact that a private corporation has deep, automatic access to nearly everything you communicate.

Free email becomes the price of being watched. Privacy-centric services like ProtonMail exist to give you an inbox that isn’t quietly analyzing your life.

What ProtonMail Provides#

ProtonMail is built on one principle: your email should be yours. It uses end-to-end encryption, which means your messages are locked before they leave your device and unlocked only by the person you are sending them to. Not even Proton can read them. Your inbox is not scanned, profiled, or mined for marketing data. There is no “acceptable voyeurism” built into the service.

Here is what ProtonMail offers today:

Core Privacy Features

• End-to-end encryption by default.
• Zero-access architecture (Proton cannot read your messages or attachments).
• No advertising, no tracking, and no data harvesting.
• Based in Switzerland, with strong privacy laws.

Free Plan

• 1 email address.
• About 500 MB to 1 GB of storage (depending on setup bonuses).
• Access to Proton Calendar and Proton Drive with limited space.
• End-to-end encrypted email with no data scanning.

Paid Plan (Proton Mail Plus)

• More storage (15 GB and up, depending on tier).
• Multiple email aliases.
• Custom domain support.
• Priority support.
• Proton VPN, Drive, Calendar, and other privacy tools bundled depending on tier.
• Same encryption model as the free plan — no upsell tricks, just more room and features.

I have been using the inexpensive paid tier for years, and have no reason not to. I learned the cost of “free” email is giving up my personal life. ProtonMail is the opposite: private by design, not private by marketing.

Conclusion#

This is the stack I use. Some parts are less convenient than the mainstream options, but the gains are enormous. Beyond the privacy and security advantages, there is real fulfillment in knowing you have stepped away from an exploitative system and taken back a measure of control in your own life. It is a small shift that makes a large difference.

Switchboard Can Convert You#

If you want this setup but do not want to handle the transition yourself, I can do the entire conversion for you. Switchboard Tech Services will back up your files, install Fedora or Ubuntu, set up Brave and ProtonMail, and make sure everything works the way you expect. Most conversions take only a single visit, and the end result is a computer that feels faster, cleaner, and completely under your control.

For anyone in Kirksville looking to move away from systems that watch and track them, this is an easy place to start.

Leo Blanchette

Practical tech help in Kirksville
I fix computers, connectivity, Linux systems, and small electronics.
Clear rates, fast service, and a local focus near the Kirksville courthouse square.

Contact me for setup and conversion…