Right. The keyboard was behaving strangely, and my single login was listed as session 2 on the taskmanager. Installing files led to multiple instances notifications. Eventually I put in a flashdrive and checked users and there were two separate instances using the same username. I think the issue started when I tried updating the system.

Anyways, I am paranoid but not unreasonable. I have tried reinstalling the iso but this does not seem to fix the issue. Advice?

Your single login has multiple processes running, you don't tell us what files you installed, from where, to do what, what was on the flash drive, how you ran the update, or give us any details at all.

You claim its 'definitively hacked'....so besides a flaky keyboard, what other evidence do you have? Did you try rebooting?? Disconnecting from the network? And the advice would be to think about what you're saying..WHY would someone hack you??? And if they managed to get past your router/firewall, past the security on your Linux system, why would they be clumsy enough to make sure you'd notice them playing with your keyboard and starting other sessions?? Makes zero sense.

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Checksum done on dowloaded iso file? What was iso made on to boot from.?

Keyboard been changed out yet?

Debian has inxi in it.

Your user name should show in with

please be precise, your post contains no usable information.
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-...html#beprecise

Very similar to this thread: https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...lp-4175734148/

This one too:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...rd-4175736757/

I wonder if they're real people or just AI bots.

OP might be advised to do a web search for "how to check if you are hacked linux" and follow some of the advice said search turns up.

And try a different, known-good keyboard.

It would be of eminence help the whole community here on LQ to know more about the technical aspects of certain log files regarding the failed installations. Did the OP possibly soldf a bad Thumb drive or is the OPs OEM hard drive coming to the end of its life cycle?

Sorry to ask again, but is there a point to such posts??? You seem to ignore things people have asked before and not read the whole thread, then post something vaguely related to things.

You mention 'certain log files'...why don't you tell us WHICH log files, and what to look for??? And no one here mentioned a failed installation..where are you getting that from??