I’m currently a complete beginner and not interested in CTF. My purpose of using TryHackMe is to learn Linux and network basics by completing the pre-beginner modules. Can I use it with my host machine and regular browser, or do I still need to use a virtual machine and VPN for safe use?
You can use their attack box and you should be fine
The VPN is to access the THM network and local machines. The VM is so you can use Linux without installing it as a main OS.
If you have any Linux distro installed, you can just use that instead of the virtual machine, but using a Kali VM is recommended (and it’s *not* recommended to use Kali as your everyday OS - too unstable). But if you need to then access anything on the THM network (e.g., to practice using SSH) you will need to connect via VPN.
(The VM is also handy for keeping your main OS safe from malware, though for a beginner on TryHackMe you’re safe. But if you wanted to get into malware analysis, for example, this would be necessary.)
Or you can use the Attack Box, but this is very limited for free users, and doesn’t let you fully come to grips with learning Linux. It’s fine for beginners, though.
If you want to use it for reading about Linux, isn’t it better to go for a plattform like udemy and take a video course?
You will Always need to use a VPN. But you can use one of the Online machines they have.
I wanted to use THM more for reading purposes. I’m not considering access to anything at this stage. But if your recommendation is in that direction, i can use Kali or Ubuntu to browse the website.
So is tryhackme fully safe to use our main os/host machine to access with vpn? Or it gets dangerous at later parts into THM?
I won’t say it’s fully safe. You’re going to be downloading malware, exploits, vulnerable software, and connecting yourself to a network of vulnerable machines. Each of these is a potential vulnerability. It’s not impossible for someone to connect to your THM machine and then pivot to your host machine. It’s unlikely on THM, but it’s still a risk. It’s up to you to weigh the risk against the simple effort of setting up a VM.
That said, using a virtual machine is considered best practice for a reason, and there’s very little I would do on my host machine. You’re learning and experimenting and you don’t want one of those experiments to end up with your whole computer infected with malware and all your data stolen or lost.