Thanks for your advice. Just to clarify, this is about replacing a desktop, not a laptop. My boss got really angry and explicitly told me not to ask again, but I feel I need to get this in writing for my own protection. This job pays well for my age, and I am worried about getting fired, but I also know this is a matter of when, not if, a security issue will occur.

I'm planning on bringing up a 9020 Optiplex with Coreboot and TianoCore installed. I have already installed Coreboot on some of the other systems and made sure the chip is locked down. I have a fresh Windows 10 installed on it using our volume license USB. The 9020 is pretty standard at our location. It's $50, but I'll just do it for my job's sake. This employee has been asking for a new computer for 2 8 months, and he really needs it.

I appreciate the advice. My boss told me today not to ask again about upgrading the desktop and was visibly angry. I'm planning to email him saying I have a preconfigured Windows 10 replacement ready, but I haven't touched the current setup as per his instructions. If the current computer breaks, we can swap it quickly. Is this a good approach?

You can encrypt your /boot partition with Argon2, which allows you to have a fully encrypted disk. You can check the integrity of your kernel at boot via Libreboot GRUB using GPG. Not as much spyware as you get with modern day computers. I know there is still proprietary ECs, microcode, etc. but we should all be trying to minimize proprietary software as much as possible.

I'm only using hardware that allows the Intel Management Engine to be fully disabled (e.g., ThinkPad X200, T400, etc.).

The PinePhone seems nice, but its firmware cannot be freed to the same extent as that of one of the older ThinkPads.

The reason why is because I want to escape from non-free software.

It's pretty messed up that schools enforce those things onto kids. Chromebooks, while cheap, invade the hell out of your privacy and are extremely restrictive. We should be teaching kids GNU/Linux, not ChromeOS... I honestly feel sorry for the future of free software. Students aren't taught ethics, freedom, or privacy at ALL. I was in school, (graduated two years ago), and it seemed that every teacher adapted the "you don't have privacy" motto. Absolutely terrible. Buy the kids a Dell Latitude E6400 and put Libreboot/Trisquel with KDE on it. Let them live and help each other out with issues. It would be super heart warming to see schools adapt something like this instead.

(I understand the convenience issues, but we should start adapting, its crazy that Gen Z barely know anything about computers)

Exactly, we all need to be together on this. This is fucking crazy.

I just fixed it, thank you for the heads up!

Should I start searching now or wait until I get my Network+? I have my A+ right now, but I'm probably not going to get my Network+ until 3 months later. I have 3 months on the job here so far, I'm 20 years old and get paid $55k/year.

It is convient, but I'm trying to avoid using proprietary software as much as possible. Those phones tend to use proprietary operating systems. Thanks for the suggestion though!

I think all he wanted was his ear, nothing more! He just wanted to become Lee Harvey Earswald.

I signed into my JMP.chat account via XMPP on Pidgin. I can make calls and texts just fine.

Edit: Pidgin (installed from Trisquel repos) can be used for texting, but as of right now, calling seems to be bugged. I'm currently using Dino (installed from Trisquel repos), both calling/texting work fine on there.

Have people started to use Godot more?

LIBREBOOT! LIBREBOOT! LIBREBOOT!

Stop giving these companies your money!

Not a bad idea! Thanks for the advice!

Raped by a demon for about 20-30 seconds until I woke up. Pretty scary.

True, It's not a deal breaker if they're not into computers. It's more of a preference that I seek to fulfill.

Seriously, some innocent spectator lost their life today. Everyone has to really chill the fuck out.

Oh, I already use GrapheneOS on my Pixel; it's a nice experience, but at the same time, it's not enough for me. The firmware isn't free, and I don't like the fact that it can still spy on me to some extent. I also just don't want to use my phone; I find myself to be a lot more productive with a laptop.

My boss didn't exactly state the reason why. He said the machine cannot be down at all, yet when I visited yesterday, the computer was crashing all day. They had to turn it off over 10 times. I told him the software vendor confirmed compatibility with Windows 10, and I forwarded the upgrade guide. Still, he refuses to grant permission. I checked the Windows 7 system last month, and it's only running this one program with no other software or files. It’s a default Windows 7 setup with just this program. The program can be set up the exact same way on the new computer.

Unfortunately, I can't go that route. I use many different phone numbers through Pidgin, so I don't think the flip phone would do.

Why not use chromium or a hardened version of it? Edge is proprietary software.

Does that mean I can register the name for my business name?

There are PCIe x4 cards with dual NVMe slots, and there's other PCIe cards that have like 4 SATA slots. You can use as much space as you want :)

Yes.

Well, it's your choice, I don't give either company my money. I'd suggest switching to Linux and start pirating everything.

It is, this is my first website so I dont really know about trademark infringement too much.

I'm just looking to have my users not use JS to shop at my store. I'm not too familiar with web dev terminology.

I meant Verizon for service on my phone and then have JMP.chat number for making calls/text. I don't use the phone number that's given from Verizon, I use the JMP.chat number instead. <---- This is my setup for my phone, not my laptop. JMP.chat works just fine over WiFi. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

For getting service on my laptop though, I use a USB modem that's connected to my LibreCMC router. I travel around with the router/modem in my backpack. The LibreCMC router doesn't need an outlet, it can be turned on by connecting it via USB to my laptop.

Not sure. Do you have any suggestions? I have my own domain name and VPS, I could possibly self-host. (Currently, I'm using snikket.chat)

Actually, Linux is just the kernel, not the whole OS. The full operating system is called GNU/Linux because it combines the Linux kernel with GNU tools. Teaching people about GNU and why it was made is important. It’s not just about using software but understanding the freedoms behind it – the freedom to use, study, modify, and share. Free Software is about more than just open-source, it's about user freedom, and that's a crucial distinction. Now, I'm not forcing you to say GNU/Linux, I say Linux most of the time myself, but you should still teach people about GNU.

There is no cost to upgrade it; they sent me a guide to download and install the software. The employee who must use this machine to do his work said he will call my boss and tell him directly. If my boss still refuses, he said he will call the VP, who is my boss's superior. This employee has been with the company for a very long time, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Should I still send the email?

Oh shoot, yeah I don't have the money for that lol I'm just a small computer store. Is it okay just to use it for my blog then? Thank you and everyone else for the advice!

Richard Stallman.

He's not a billionaire, but he sure is a fossillionaire.

I will definitely come back with photos, I'm getting the Thinkpad on Friday or Saturday :-)

I'm also looking into customizing GRUB to look like this:

Edit: also planning on using this for my DE:

https://github.com/rozniak/xfce-winxp-tc

GrapheneOS for the Google Pixel. I'm using a Google Pixel 4 which was like $120 and super easy to flash. I'm from the US, so I understand if things might be different where you are.

The whole point of this post was to get advice, not to be insulted. I'm new to the field, and documenting everything is a valuable lesson I've learned. My boss can be unpredictable, and there's no good reason for not upgrading a system that only runs a single program and has significant security risks. I already plan to send the CYA email tomorrow and then drop it.

I'm not going over anyone's head. The employee who needs the machine is the one asking for the upgrade because it's impacting his work. He's been requesting it for 8 months. Your attitude is unhelpful, and you're making faulty conclusions. Just because I'm new doesn't mean I don't have valid concerns.

I'm looking for advice to handle this professionally, not to be made to feel bad for asking for help. Maybe next time, try offering constructive advice instead of acting superior.

Yes, but Edge comes with a lot more proprietary components added.

I would recommend installing ungoogled-chromium or using another hardened FOSS version of chromium instead.

Don't you need tons of RAM to run LLMs? I thought the newer models needed up to 64GB RAM? Also, what about Stable Diffusion?

Yes. I have multiple accounts attached to my phone number and I'm able to receive OTPs from all of them (banking, shopping, etc.)

I use my carrier (e.g. Verizon) for service, and pay jmp.chat $5/month for my phone number.