I would like to address your concerns.
- All of the previous shields are still there. They have been integrated into three (not two) shields.
See this for more information.
- The pop-ups are for vps updates. They are wrongly worded. This is an ongoing issue.
To “not” see them GUI>Settings>Updates>untick the proper box as shown.
- To ensure “not” installing Chrome download the install file>then install using caution with each set-up screen.
I never update through the GUI for this very reason.
As far as a replacement, I refuse to recommend an inferior product. 