Is Linux Ubuntu the most secure OS to store my BTC on?

[randomguy7]

Use gentoo and harden the shit out of it using grsecurity and selinux.

But for simplicity I'd recommend an external (usb connected) hard disk with some linux os installed on it. Only use it to manage your wallet. Especially no webbrowsing. And NEVER let a running system access the disk, always boot directly from it.

[voneiden]

Use gentoo and harden the shit out of it using grsecurity and selinux.

+1, posting from hardened gentoo. :-) Armory with offline wallet running on linux is pretty much as safe as it gets. And backups, backups and backups..

[nwbitcoin]

In vanilla format, windows and Ubuntu are about as secure as each other.

The big problem these days is not the standard OS, but the apps running on it. So you might not download any malware, but you could still end up having a hacker come visit.

The major problem with most Linux distros is everyone thinks they are secure and don't do the patch management that it needs to keep it secure!

Just be careful with your passwords and your encryption, and you should be ok.

[Welsh]

Screw all of this. Just use a offline computer, doesn't matter what OS then. SAFEST option.

[pedrog]

I'm no fan of Ubuntu, but if you are comparing to Windows, it's much saffer.

[bongwater]

They are equally as safe in my opinion.

[pedrog]

They are equally as safe in my opinion.

Probably not, because the amount of malware produced for windows is way greater than for linux systems, but you know, the biggest threat resides between the char and the keyboard, hehe.

[k]

...
Version 12.10 has spyware installed.
...

Any proof to back up that statement? Anyone trying to distribute spyware in a distro would also need to change a shedload of other software that can detect or report it's activity to have a snowball's chance in hell of getting away with it for more than a few days and any changes of that magnitude would soon be detected through digital fingerprints.

TL:DR Calling BS on that.

Could be referring to this https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/10/privacy-ubuntu-1210-amazon-ads-and-data-leaks

[CryptoBadger]

The OS probably isn't as important as the user. =)

I wouldn't keep your wallet (at least, the wallet with the majority of your coins in it) on any computer that is connected to the internet. The best place for your wallet is offline - stored on a few USB keys in multiple locations. I wrote a guide on securing your wallet a few weeks ago:

http://www.cryptobadger.com/2013/05/guide-bitcoin-wallet-security/

[AliceWonder]

...
Version 12.10 has spyware installed.
...

Any proof to back up that statement?

Things you searched for were sent to amazon un-encrypted.
This is public knowledge.

I prefer to call it adware because the purpose was to serve you advertisements but it was spyware.

[AliceWonder]

In vanilla format, windows and Ubuntu are about as secure as each other.

Ha ha ha ha! Not even close.

I'm sorry but not only is windows closed source but academic studies have demonstrated that the linux kernel has far few bugs per line of code than Windows. Most security holes are the result of bugs.

The Red October malware network that went un-discovered for years. Was it open source or closed source vulnerabilities it exploited?

[pedrog]

And there is this: http://news.yahoo.com/microsoft-waits-fix-software-bugs-nsa-them-first-140237627.html

[fractalbc]

Ubuntu server is more secure than ubuntu desktop which is more secure than windows.  But, the ease of use of an environment you know may outweigh any perceived improvement in security.

OSX has fewer reported vulnerabilities than windows and is easier for many to learn than ubuntu which is one of the easier linux distributions to use which may make OSX a better choice.

[dbkeys]

Any GNU/Linux OS will be much safer than Windows, but nothing is as safe as taking your wallet off-line. There are hardening scripts all over the net. In Ubuntu, the default firewall handling system is ufw https://help.ubuntu.com/10.04/serverguide/firewall.html. Other useful tools you might want to learn about are fail2ban and tripwire  http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8758

[cardcomm]

the OS doesn't matter IMO. though Ubuntu may be safer than windows

what'ts more important is that you set up a decent wallet password and store it in the cloud like google drive or dropbox

ROFL! Nice! This may be the least secure way of storage possible.   

[cardcomm]

I'm installing Ubuntu right now and seems much more aesthetic than i thought open source software should look like.  It looks like it has an apps store as well.  Which implies to me that the developers have some kind of monetary incentive.  Or is it much to do with nothing?  Or am i just paranoid? What do you think of Ubuntu? 

Secure than windows & mac : Yes
Most secure linux os: Not sure

More secure than Mac? Don't be too sure about it, Mac is actually very secure and I haven't read of someone being on Mac and getting bitcoin stolen.

Agreed, OS X itself is very secure. One COULD go even one step further. Storing one's offline wallet in an encrypted sparsebundle disk image using a complex password would be considered EXTREMELY secure.

In fact, the main "security" concern at that point would be to ensure proper offsite backup of the encrypted disk image.

[Mike Christ]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but, if you want your machine to be more secure, don't install Java at all.  Not on your computer or the browser plugin, just don't have it on your computer, and if you do, don't go to random Bitcoin-related websites which ask you to activate a Java applet and then accept it without a second thought and come back and say something like "Oh noes my account is haxx0rd modz plz, plz mods plz"

[nwbitcoin]

In vanilla format, windows and Ubuntu are about as secure as each other.

Ha ha ha ha! Not even close.

I'm sorry but not only is windows closed source but academic studies have demonstrated that the linux kernel has far few bugs per line of code than Windows. Most security holes are the result of bugs.

The Red October malware network that went un-discovered for years. Was it open source or closed source vulnerabilities it exploited?

And this is exactly why they are both as secure as each other!  Having more faith in something, because some academic told you its ok, is really bad practice!

All the statements you made are discussing non technical issues. Licencing doesn't make something more secure, and its not the kernel we are discussing, but the whole package, including the apps that run on it. 

As an example, when you look for expolits in Linux, you check out things like Samba local root exploits, OpenSSH, SETI@home, ProFTPD, Apache etc for flaws to get in, you don't tend to check out the Linux kernel, even though that also has flaws.
When you look for Windows exploits, you would look for the same type of things, but its all under the banner of Windows, and so the myth of Windows being more insecure continues - even though it was only really true in the late 90s - remember the Netbios file share exploit?

Any computer is secure if the user is proactive in maintaining security, and not clicking on stuff they don't fully trust!

[Bogdan]

Don't know if this has been mentioned, but, if you want your machine to be more secure, don't install Java at all.  Not on your computer or the browser plugin, just don't have it on your computer, and if you do, don't go to random Bitcoin-related websites which ask you to activate a Java applet and then accept it without a second thought and come back and say something like "Oh noes my account is haxx0rd modz plz, plz mods plz"

This is a key to being secure, no java.

[01BTC10]

More secure than Mac? Don't be too sure about it, Mac is actually very secure and I haven't read of someone being on Mac and getting bitcoin stolen.

It does happen: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=266813.0