This is a great idea, I’ll give it a try. I have never tethered an internet connection via USB… is it easy? I’m using debian.

Good point! I think you located the problem, thank you!

But do devices connected via hotspot share your phone’s VPN connection?

So that other devices can also connect to the Linux phone, as if it were a router, but they would get my DNS sinkhole + VPN.

I would configure your phone to already have the necessary settings for VPN, so that any subsequent device’s traffic routes through that VPN (home).

Does PostmarketOS work like that? On Android even if the phone has VPN active any device that connects to the phone’s hotspot will not have the VPN connection.

The security and privacy of my parent’s home connection is exactly the issue… there is none!

Thanks, that’s just what I needed! Apparently LOS can’t publish the muppets step because it violates intellectual property rights or something.