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---
title: "Software and hardware<br>I use and recommend"
date: 2022-09-28
layout: "blog"
toc: true
---
I use a lot of software, most of it free and open-source.
I've tried to use much more, but it didn't always go so well,
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 2022-12-05.
## General
* [Neovim](https://neovim.io/):
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
* [Arch Linux](https://www.archlinux.org/):
The distribution that, for me, delivers the best cost-benefit ratio.
I'm not a big fan of [systemd](https://freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/)
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.
* [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,
who still seem to care about privacy and security, and
who created the [Rust](https://www.rust-lang.org/) language.
Firefox has all the necessary modern features,
and provides an excellent curated set of add-ons.
+ [uBlock Origin](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/):
The best adblocker out there. It's free *and* open-source!
+ [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.
* [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.
* [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.
## Server
* [Alpine Linux](https://alpinelinux.org/):
Minimalist distribution powered by
[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 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.
* [Rspamd](https://www.rspamd.com/):
Spam filter for email.
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/):
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
* [LineageOS](https://lineageos.org/):
Had enough of vendor-specific crap in Android?
This open-source distribution has good hardware support
and enough momentum to be the *de facto* standard version
of Android for tinkerers.
* [microG](https://microg.org/):
Takes the Google out of Android
by reimplementing proprietary libraries.
It works very well; the only problem I've experienced is
that push notifications take longer to arrive than usual.
Installation is tricky, but they offer
a [custom LineageOS](https://lineage.microg.org/) to make it easy.
* [AdAway](https://adaway.org/):
Effective system-wide adblocker
that should work for all your apps.
* [Aegis](https://getaegis.app/):
Secure open-source 2FA authenticator app.
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
* [Gandi](https://www.gandi.net/):
European domain registrar with the motto
"No bullshit since 1999". They provide an honest,
high-quality service at a competitive price.
This statement is not sponsored.
* [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/):
Provides free TLS encryption certificates
to anybody who asks politely, thereby making
online security more accessible for small sites like this one.
|
