Ubuntu & MS affecting Mint privacy?

[Sonnenquelle]

Good day all
I ran into some informations explaining that Ubuntu and Microsoft are partnering.

As I understand Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, my question is:
How does the pertnering of Ubuntu & MS affect the privacy of Mint users?

I am new to Linux and therefore my question might be strange to some of the users here.
But I have changed from Windows to Mint due to the upcoming changes of Windows Service Agreement = no more privacy.

Your input on this is much appreciated.
Tim

[argentwolf]

Is the information below what concerns you?

"Canonical: A partnership that delivers the best and most secure open source for customers"
https://pulse.microsoft.com/en/transfor ... customers/

[Sonnenquelle]

Is the information below what concerns you?

"Canonical: A partnership that delivers the best and most secure open source for customers"
https://pulse.microsoft.com/en/transfor ... customers/

Yes, but there are also many other news reports about the collaboration between MS and Ubuntu:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ ... -p/3886560
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/microsof ... ohn-zannos

Therefore I was wondering if someone has a bigger picture and intel regarding my privacy question above.
Thanks

[argentwolf]

Is the information below what concerns you?

"Canonical: A partnership that delivers the best and most secure open source for customers"
https://pulse.microsoft.com/en/transfor ... customers/

Yes, but there are also many other news reports about the collaboration between MS and Ubuntu:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ ... -p/3886560
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/microsof ... ohn-zannos

Therefore I was wondering if someone has a bigger picture and intel regarding my privacy question above.
Thanks

Welcome to Linux Mint Forums
[Partnership: the state or condition of being a partner; participation; association; joint interest.]
I guess at the end of the day my answer is why I use LMDE, Ubuntu is simply to top tier a distribution for my comfort and why I don't use Linux Mint.
I personally think you wise to be concerned, and ask: What might their partnership mean to you and your privacy after this post?

There's so much searchable information about Azure and what the public's told they're about, but you might take a minute and look at the bottom of the page below and witness a list of others who've "partnered" with Azure, and make a more informed decision. I hope that answers your question and/or starts you down a path of discovery and realization.

"Who's Using Microsoft Azure? [2020]"
https://www.contino.io/insights/whos-us ... azure-2020

[SMG]

Is the information below what concerns you?

"Canonical: A partnership that delivers the best and most secure open source for customers"
https://pulse.microsoft.com/en/transfor ... customers/

Yes, but there are also many other news reports about the collaboration between MS and Ubuntu:
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/ ... -p/3886560
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/microsof ... ohn-zannos

Therefore I was wondering if someone has a bigger picture and intel regarding my privacy question above.

Welcome to the forum, Tim.

Linux Mint uses packages from Ubuntu and Debian to create Linux Mint. Because the Ubuntu files are open-source, others can and do use them, but Ubuntu does not provide support for Linux Mint or any of the other Linux-based distros which use Ubuntu as their base. Open-source means anyone can look at the code and see what it is doing.

The link provided by argentwolf says Canonical wants to be the Linux-based distro of choice when people go to the cloud. Ubuntu does not support Linux Mint so that link does not appear to have relevance to your question.

The first link you provided is a notice for users of Ubuntu 18.04 to make sure they have extended support enabled so they will continue to receive security updates. That looks like a standard security update message and is probably being provided as a service to those using the Microsoft cloud for Ubuntu instances because of the agreement for cross-sell. Linux Mint sends end of life messages to users before a version becomes unsupported so that is common in the industry.

The second link you provided is from 2016 and looks like that was back when Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) was first announced. WSL is a way to run quite a bit of Linux-based functionality in Windows without having to use a virtual machine.

As I understand Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, my question is:
How does the pertnering of Ubuntu & MS affect the privacy of Mint users?

All the links provided so far are Ubuntu being "added" to Windows and not the other way around. There is no Windows code in your Linux Mint.

[Sonnenquelle]

THX to all for taking time to read and answer my post. This gives me further knowledge on how Mint works.

Due to the fact that I use to be a Windows-Sys-Admin, and currently having many companies as clients who want to change their entire office from Win to Linux, I am trying to get as much intel as possible about Linux OS.
After evaluation of several Linux OS (Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, Studio, openSUSE, Arch) I have chosen to concentrate my knowledge on Mint and support potential business clients the change from Win to Mint. Nevertheless, I understand Linux is not made to run Win-Applications, and there are not alternatives for all Apps running on Win.
Fortunately I found that some companies are willing to make compromises as long as the privacy of the system and data is guaranteed.
Microsoft is moving forward on their trip for total control of the Win-Users, and the concerns that the privacy of employees and clients data, as well as the risk of industrial espionage through MS is justified. This is the main reason for companies and private users to move away from Win asap.

[argentwolf]

I understand Linux is not made to run Win-Applications, and there are not alternatives for all Apps running on Win.

FWIW, the link below might help you find alternatives to software you already know and want to replace.

"AlternativeTo"
https://alternativeto.net/

[Sonnenquelle]

I understand Linux is not made to run Win-Applications, and there are not alternatives for all Apps running on Win.

FWIW, the link below might help you find alternatives to software you already know and want to replace.

"AlternativeTo"
https://alternativeto.net/

THX, well noted.

[TaterChip]

THX to all for taking time to read and answer my post. This gives me further knowledge on how Mint works.

Due to the fact that I use to be a Windows-Sys-Admin, and currently having many companies as clients who want to change their entire office from Win to Linux, I am trying to get as much intel as possible about Linux OS.
After evaluation of several Linux OS (Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, Studio, openSUSE, Arch) I have chosen to concentrate my knowledge on Mint and support potential business clients the change from Win to Mint. Nevertheless, I understand Linux is not made to run Win-Applications, and there are not alternatives for all Apps running on Win.
Fortunately I found that some companies are willing to make compromises as long as the privacy of the system and data is guaranteed.
Microsoft is moving forward on their trip for total control of the Win-Users, and the concerns that the privacy of employees and clients data, as well as the risk of industrial espionage through MS is justified. This is the main reason for companies and private users to move away from Win asap.

After 30+ years with Microsoft.... this is why I finally divorced them. I couldn't be happier about switching to Mint. For those "gotta have" windows programs, you could spin up a version of windows in a virtual machine. This is what I do, and it allows me to keep the MS spyware off my main machine.I've found replacements for all my programs except two, and there just aren't any linux replacements for those.

[AZgl1800]

After 30+ years with Microsoft.... this is why I finally divorced them. I couldn't be happier about switching to Mint. For those "gotta have" windows programs, you could spin up a version of windows in a virtual machine. This is what I do, and it allows me to keep the MS spyware off my main machine.

I've found replacements for all my programs except two, and there just aren't any linux replacements for those.

MS ACCESS and TurboTax
for this house.

so, the daughter is still on Win10 for ACCESS
and I abandoned TurboTax and staying with LM21.2 Cinnamon

[argentwolf]

After 30+ years with Microsoft.... this is why I finally divorced them. I couldn't be happier about switching to Mint. For those "gotta have" windows programs, you could spin up a version of windows in a virtual machine. This is what I do, and it allows me to keep the MS spyware off my main machine.I've found replacements for all my programs except two, and there just aren't any linux replacements for those.

While the VM is also a solution I've deployed in the past, I constantly wonder if they've truly isolated the "sandboxed" virtual machine which actually resides in the "main machine", and why solutions like ProxMox concern me greatly. Pristine isn't so if you drag even a little dirt past the perimeter, and it won't surprise me to later (again) have disclosed there was an intentional hole in the wall the whole time. #TNO

Edit: I realize this topic is for different thread.