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@@ -11,17 +11,27 @@ so I've made a list of the programs I like enough to recommend.
Such a list has been on my website for a long time already;
this is its official publication.
-Last updated on 2022-11-11.
+Last updated on 2022-12-05.
## General
* [Neovim](https://neovim.io/):
- A modernized fork of the venerable [Vim](https://www.vim.org/) text editor.
+ A modernized fork of the venerable [Vim](https://www.vim.org/) text editor,
+ which has shaped my brain to the point that I find myself
+ typing its commands in other applications.
* [restic](https://restic.net/):
Good command-line backup program.
You'll need to provide your own storage.
* [Syncthing](https://syncthing.net/):
Synchronizes folders across devices. Decentralized and easy to set up.
+* [tinc](https://tinc-vpn.org/):
+ Self-hosted VPN that lets you set up mesh networks.
+ Relies on public-key cryptography to recognize its peers.
+ Can run over TCP or UDP.
+* [Wireguard](https://www.wireguard.com/):
+ Conceptually similar to tinc, but slightly easier to set up,
+ and integrated into the Linux kernel.
+ Only runs on UDP.
## Desktop
@@ -31,9 +41,18 @@ Last updated on 2022-11-11.
or [glibc](https://www.gnu.org/software/libc/),
but the fantastic package manager and the huge repositories
make Arch Linux unbeatable for working techies' day-to-day computing.
-* [i3](https://i3wm.org/) and [Sway](https://swaywm.org/):
- Lightweight window managers.
- Once you go tiling, you can never go back.
+* [Alacritty](https://github.com/alacritty/alacritty):
+ Simple, lightning-fast terminal emulator with
+ extra goodies like 24-bit colours
+ and live configuration reloading.
+* [Anki](https://ankiweb.net/about):
+ Flashcard studying software,
+ with a [big library](https://ankiweb.net/shared/decks/) of community-made decks.
+ Frankly it's not very user-friendly, but it does the job.
+* [EasyEffects](https://github.com/wwmm/easyeffects):
+ Real-time audio effects on Linux.
+ I use it to tweak my headphones' response according to the awesome
+ [AutoEQ](https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq) project's data.
* [Firefox](https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/):
Web browsers suck.
This ones sucks the least, and is developed by Mozilla,
@@ -46,40 +65,34 @@ Last updated on 2022-11-11.
+ [HTTPS Everywhere](https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere):
In today's world, this should be included in all browsers.
The fact that it's rule-based is unfortunate, but hey, it works.
-* [Thunderbird](https://www.thunderbird.net/):
- Email clients suck, just like email itself.
- This one just sucks less, since it's also made by Mozilla.
-* [Alacritty](https://github.com/alacritty/alacritty):
- Simple, lightning-fast terminal emulator with
- extra goodies like 24-bit colours
- and live configuration reloading.
+* [i3](https://i3wm.org/):
+ Lightweight window manager.
+ Once you go tiling, you can never go back.
+* [KeePassXC](https://keepassxc.org/):
+ User-friendly open-source password manager.
+ It stores everything in a local encrypted database file,
+ which is your responsibility to back up and sync.
+* [KLayout](https://klayout.de/):
+ Open-source chip layout editor, with advanced scripting functionality.
+ I would've liked some more keyboard shortcuts by default,
+ but at least I can make my own.
* [pass](https://www.passwordstore.org/):
Password manager for techies.
It's simple, secure, and extensible.
However, I don't think I'll ever understand how to properly manage [GnuPG](https://gnupg.org/) keys,
so I gave up and switched to KeePassXC instead.
-* [KeePassXC](https://keepassxc.org/):
- User-friendly open-source password manager.
- It stores everything in a local encrypted database file,
- which is your responsibility to back up and sync.
-* [EasyEffects](https://github.com/wwmm/easyeffects):
- Real-time audio effects on Linux.
- I use it to tweak my headphones' response according to the awesome
- [AutoEQ](https://github.com/jaakkopasanen/AutoEq) project's data.
-* [Anki](https://ankiweb.net/about):
- Flashcard studying software,
- with a big [library](https://ankiweb.net/shared/decks/) of community-made decks.
- Frankly it's not very user-friendly, but it does the job.
+* [Sway](https://swaywm.org/):
+ Another tiling window manager,
+ originally aiming to be a clone of i3 for Wayland.
+* [Thunderbird](https://www.thunderbird.net/):
+ Email clients suck, just like email itself.
+ This one just sucks less, since it's also made by Mozilla.
* [Veusz](https://veusz.github.io/):
Fantastic plotting software,
and one of the most underrated open-source tools that I know of.
It gives beautiful plots, can handle *huge* data files, and,
because its files are just plain Python,
you can automatically generate plots with a bit of scripting.
-* [KLayout](https://klayout.de/):
- Open-source chip layout editor, with advanced scripting functionality.
- I would've liked some more keyboard shortcuts by default,
- but at least I can make my own.
## Server
@@ -88,38 +101,41 @@ Last updated on 2022-11-11.
[BusyBox](https://www.busybox.net/) and [musl](https://musl.libc.org/).
It has a large-enough selection of both cutting-edge
and stable packages to be practical.
+* [acme.sh](https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh):
+ Straightforward tool to manage TLS certificates
+ issued by [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/).
+* [cgit](https://git.zx2c4.com/cgit/about/):
+ JavaScript-free online Git frontend,
+ perfect for private setups.
+ If you need something more advanced like user accounts,
+ [Gitea](https://gitea.io) is a good choice too.
+* [Dante](https://www.inet.no/dante/):
+ Server for the SOCKS proxy protocol,
+ which is directly supported by browsers.
+* [Dovecot](https://dovecot.org/):
+ One of the, if not *the* most popular email IMAP server.
+ And for good reason: it's fast, secure, and a pleasure to set up.
+* [Hugo](https://gohugo.io/):
+ Powerful static site generator in Go, although it's a bit of a mess in my opinion.
+* [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/):
+ Another static site generator, in Ruby this time.
+ It's very popular for good reason,
+ and has a wealth of plugins if you need extra features.
+ This is what I'm currently using.
* [nginx](https://nginx.org/):
- Fast, secure and popular HTTP server,
- and a breeze to set up.
+ Fast, secure and popular HTTP server used by many major websites.
* [OpenSMTPD](https://opensmtpd.org/):
Email SMTP server by the venerable [OpenBSD](https://www.openbsd.org/) project,
and the only one of its kind that nails the setup experience.
-* [Dovecot](https://dovecot.org/):
- One of the, if not *the* most popular email IMAP server.
- And for good reason: it's fast, secure, and a pleasure to set up.
* [Rspamd](https://www.rspamd.com/):
Spam filter for email.
- To be honest, I haven't looked into this one much.
- It has lots of advanced features that I barely understand,
+ I haven't looked into this one much,
+ it has lots of advanced features that I barely understand,
but still seems to be the most modern and usable spam filter out there.
* [Zola](https://www.getzola.org/):
- Static site generator written in Rust.
- It's fast, flexible and stays out of your way.
-* [Hugo](https://gohugo.io/):
- Another good static site generator, although not quite as nice as Zola in my opinion,
- since Hugo's template language is a bit messed up. It still works well though.
-* [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/):
- Yet another static site generator, in Ruby this time.
- It's very popular for good reason,
- and has a wealth of plugins if you need extra features.
-* [cgit](https://git.zx2c4.com/cgit/about/):
- JavaScript-free online Git frontend,
- perfect for private setups.
- If you need something more advanced like user accounts,
- [Gitea](https://gitea.io) is a good choice too.
-* [acme.sh](https://github.com/acmesh-official/acme.sh):
- Straightforward tool to manage TLS certificates
- issued by [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/).
+ Another static site generator, written in Rust.
+ It's fast, flexible and stays out of your way,
+ making it my go-to recommendation for beginners.
## Android
@@ -140,10 +156,30 @@ Last updated on 2022-11-11.
that should work for all your apps.
* [Aegis](https://getaegis.app/):
Secure open-source 2FA authenticator app.
-* [Insular](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.oasisfeng.island.fdroid/):
- Isolates untrusted apps in an Android Work Profile.
+ I was pleasantly surprised when it told to me how to
+ get past Microsoft's insistence on using their proprietary 2FA app.
* [AnkiDroid](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.ichi2.anki/):
Good mobile frontend for [Anki](https://ankiweb.net/about).
+ Available for free on F-Droid.
+* [F-Droid](https://f-droid.org/en/):
+ Like the Google Play Store,
+ but only contains free and open-source apps.
+* [Insular](https://f-droid.org/en/packages/com.oasisfeng.island.fdroid/):
+ Isolates untrusted apps in an Android Work Profile,
+ so they e.g. can't read your real contacts if you give them contacts permission.
+
+
+## Hardware
+* [PC Engines APU2](https://www.pcengines.ch/apu2.htm):
+ x86-based single-board computers designed in Switzerland.
+ A bit pricey, but they're clearly committed to making well-supported long-lasting hardware.
+ Perfect for a server or router at home.
+* [SoloKeys](https://solokeys.com/):
+ Open-source USB keys for 2FA via the FIDO standards.
+ Their V1 products still work fine, but are effectively unsupported,
+ as they focus their efforts on V2.
+ This is unfortunate, but I can still recommend them.
+ Not many websites support FIDO though...
## Services