https://vegastack.com/tutorials/how-to-install-lxde-on-ubuntu-22-04/ This is the guide I was using, if it helps. I’d take a look at section 1, step 2, where it shows the picture of the “Configure LightDM” menu. I think it’s probably not too bad, but I’d be curious to hear how it goes.

I haven’t used Ubuntu in a bit, but I’m decently familiar with linux overall. Looked up a guide. It indicated you could install LXDE with sudo apt install lxde and then reboot. The guide said that LXDE should be the default Desktop Environment now, because it’s the most recently installed one. If for whatever reason LXDE isn’t the new default, on the Login screen, in the upper left corner there should be a dialogue box to select whichever Desktop Environment you want as the new default.

I think Debian unstable works great on laptops, and it’s hard to beat for stability.

This might be a stupid question, but I’m only so-so at wireguard. Do you experience that kind of loss using WG at home, on wifi, between your phone and server?

You’re doing it when protonmail goes out of business suddenly, or changes their privacy rules, or decides they want to raise prices and you don’t want to pay. You can never really predict these things, and having a cheap (domain names can be like $15 a year) option is great.

I really disagree re: email. Proton’s web interface is fine, but if you’re going to use a desktop client, and many people prefer to, I think thunderbird is a better choice than outlook. Further, having a personal domain for email is great if you ever want to switch providers. It’s pretty much the only way to not have to email dozens of people telling them “Sorry, you won’t be able to reach me at this address anymore.” If you do any sort of business over email encrypting it is a good choice, because it is possible to both spoof email and to intercept and read it.