Now that mobile devices are becoming more powerful It is difficult for us to be in a situation of having to use a computer that we do not use regularly. However, if that is the case, we come up with a list of “open source lifeguards”
Lifeguards are programs that we can use from a flash drive, without the need to install them or leave important data on a computer that we don't know who else uses.
Open Source "Lifeguards"
Every so often I have to go to work at a certain place. I was assigned a 4 gig all-in-one computer with Windows 7 that hadn't been defragmented since the day it was installed. Given my continuous complaints, they installed Windows 10, but they did not bother to activate it.
I decided to take the bull by the horns and install a Linux distribution on a flash drive. The ideal is to do it in one of 16 or 32gb. Of course, the best option would have been an external hard drive, but for the programs I need it was not justified.
The friendliest Linux distributions such as Fedora, Manjaro or Ubuntu are ideal for this type of situation. since they detect the hardware they are working on and tell you which driver to install. If you are really concerned about privacy, be sure to take a look at Tails, a Debian-based distribution with tools to ensure it
In case you do not want a Linux distribution, you can opt for what are called portable programs. They are applications that include all the dependencies they need to function.
The two main portable software repositories for Windows are PortableApps y appporters
What applications to download?
- Browser: It is likely that if you use a foreign computer it is to browse the Internet. The best options are Firefox (PortableApps) and Brave (Portapps)
- mail client: If you don't like the web interface to see your mail, in PortableApps there is Thunderbird.
- Messaging and social networks: If you want to see all your accounts from one place, in Portapps there is Rambox.
- Graphics: To create graphics and edit images in PortableApps there are Gimp and Krita.
- Safety: In case of using an external computer, it is best to make sure that there is no virus. ClamAV is on PortableApps.