Signal Messenger - For Debian Or LMDE Linux

Signal Messenger - For Debian Or LMDE Linux, is an End-To-End Encryption app for calls & messages.

It supports different devices like Android, iOS and Desktop  for Linux, Windows and MacOS.

It uses the Internet to send one-to-one and group messages, which can include files, voice notes, images and video clips, and make one-to-one voice and video calls.

NEWS 19th September, 2023:

Signal upgrades their encryption to withstand quantum computer attacks. an upgrade to the X3DH specification that is called PQXDH.

Quantum computing, once perfected, will revolutionize certain sciences and technologies in the transport, energy the and medical fields, but with it the existing standards of encryption, known as the RSA Cryptosystem, will be rendered obsolete and easily cracked.

“RSA relies on a mathematical one-way function,” said Signal. “Easy to compute in one direction, but requires substantially more work to compute in reverse.”

“To address this problem, new post-quantum cryptosystems have been created to implement new one-way functions that cannot be advantageously reversed by a quantum computer,”

“Thanks to innovation from cryptographic researchers and the NIST Standardization Process for Post-Quantum Cryptography, we now have stable options that have been created and vetted by a large community of experts,”

“We believe that the key encapsulation mechanism we have selected, CRYSTALS-Kyber, is built on solid foundations, but to be safe we do not want to simply replace our existing elliptic curve cryptography foundations with a post-quantum public key cryptosystem,” Signal says.

Now an attacker must break both both X25519 and CRYSTALS-Kyber to crack Signals encryption coding.

I recommend using "Signal Messenger" for users who are concerned about their personal security and privacy.

The client software includes mechanisms by which users can independently verify the identity of their contacts and the integrity of the data channel.

Any sort of data transferred through this messenger is encrypted using an advanced end-to-end encryption protocol.

This ensures that all the data remains only between the sender and receiver.

No ads, no affiliate marketers, no creepy tracking" The way it should be.

The non-profit Signal Foundation was launched in February 2018 with initial funding of $50 million from Brian Acton.
As of January 2021, the platform had approximately 40 million monthly active users and as of May 2021, it was downloaded more than 105 million times.

"No one person or group of people can own a nonprofit organization. You don't see nonprofit shares traded on stock exchanges, and any equity in a nonprofit organization belongs to the organization itself, not to the board of directors or the staff. Nonprofit assets can be sold, but the proceeds of the sale must benefit the organization, not private parties.

If you start a nonprofit and decide at some point in the future that you don't want to do it anymore, you have to walk away from it and leave the running of the organization to someone else."

"This means META, X-Corp, Microsoft or Google won't be able to aquire it."

Celebrities recommend it:

Celebrities like Edward Snowden and Elon Musk are actively endorsing Signal as the best messaging service for privacy-conscious users. The Black Lives Matter organisers also endorsed the platform during the summer protests.

• January 2021 Signal had 40 million users.
• Less than 1 percent of Signal users donate to the non-profit.

License: Free, AGPL3-only for the desktop version.

Signal messenger available on Snap Store:

Note: Snaps autoupdate, whenever there is a new version available.

Requirements: Snapd installed on your system.

How to install Signal Snap:

sudo snap install signal

Press Enter, done.

The best way to install Signal on your Debian or LMDE Linux Desktop:

Start by installing wget:

sudo apt-get install wget

Press Enter.

wget -O- https://updates.signal.org/desktop/apt/keys.asc | sudo apt-key add -

Press Enter.

Press Enter.

sudo apt update && sudo apt install signal-desktop

Press Enter.

sudo apt-get update

Press Enter, done.

Sync your smartphone with your desktop:

Once you are done, this is how it will look before you import your contacts:

Important feature "Disappearing messages" and "Clearing data":

You can set the default timer to OFF or from 30 seconds to 4 weeks and it will delete your messages on both ends.

NOTE: Only use Clear application data if needed, it will erase all and you will need to sync your phone again.

This app is widely used and is just getting better and better. This app is much more secure than WhatsApp or Telegram.

Signal provides private groups.

To start a group chat:

1. In Signal, tap compose compose-outline-24.png then Group_Avatar.png New Group.
2. Select contacts or enter numbers.
3. Tap Next to see the group type.
4. Enter a Group name.
5. Tap Create for it to appear in your chat list and the chat list for group members.
6. A member may need to accept the message request or invitation before they can message in the group.

Signal Desktop users have two group types:

New group:

1. All communication is private
2. Messages are sent over the internet
3. Invites via a group link or QR-code
4. Group description
5. @Mention others in the group
6. Admins may choose who can edit group members, info or modify disappearing message timers
7. Admins may remove members
8. Size limit of 1000

Legacy Group:

• All communication is private
• Messages are sent over the internet

How to uninstall Signal:

Open a terminal window:

sudo apt remove signal-desktop

Press Enter,

Now lets remove the repository:

rm -i /etc/apt/sources.list.d/signal-xenial.list

Press Enter.

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