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What App am I Using for What and How?

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Here is a list of tasks I do on my computers and the software I am using for accomplishing these tasks. The first column also links corresponding workflow descriptions with further information on how I am doing things which should be our focus, not the tool. At the very bottom, there are links to more workflow descriptions.

For all the Emacs people visiting this page: here, I just list a few Emacs packages. For more details on which packages I'm using for my workflows, please do visit my online Emacs config and check out the first chapters explaining my setup.

It is important to emphasize that you can not derive anything for your situation without knowing my requirements and how they lead to my choice for a tool. For some workflows, I've added a link to further information which might also contain a description of my requirements (first column).

In addition to my desktop GNU/Linux host which runs Debian stable, I starting with NixOS in mid 2023, running two GNU/Linux notebooks. My NixOS configuration includes all my installed packages and large parts of my customizaton/configuration. You can find my NixOS configuration online in order to get all the details for those hosts.

I had to use MS Windows 10 on my business machine until 2019. In my private life, I prefer working with the GNU/Linux operating system. Therefore, I don't need a Windows solution for many use-cases that are part of my private life mainly such as tagging files and photographs.

Please note that was using OS X (macOS) on a daily basis until 2015. I replaced my Mac Mini with a Debian GNU/Linux machine as well. Linux is so much easier to meet my requirements than OS X. Therefore, the OS X column is mainly for my own reference in case I need to use OS X again in future. For now, I stick with the term "OS X" instead of "macOS" until its name is considered a "stable" one. SCNR

Workflow Linux Android Windows 10 (outdated) OS X (outdated)
Operating System Debian stable, Xubuntu LTS stock Android (Windows 10) (OS X Leopard?)
Files: managing zsh, GNU/Emacs dired Astro File Manager Pro dired, FreeCommander, babun/zsh zsh, Finder
Files: synchronizing Syncthing Syncthing Syncthing, Unison Unison
Files: tagging filetags, (filetags.el) filetags, filetags.el filetags
Files: local network exchange cend.me or snapdrop.net cend.me or snapdrop.net cend.me or snapdrop.net
Calendar GNU Emacs Org mode, Evolution Built-in, Org Agenda→HTML Thunderbird, Org mode GNU Emacs Org mode
Scheduling group appointments dudle, poll digitalcourage dudle, poll digitalcourage dudle, poll digitalcourage
Calendar: schedule meetings dudle, poll digitalcourage Thunderbird
(Exchange calendar → Org mode)
Task management GNU Emacs Org mode Orgzly GNU Emacs Org mode GNU Emacs Org mode
Taking notes, capturing ideas GNU Emacs Org mode Orgzly GNU Emacs Org mode GNU Emacs Org mode
Terminal emulation xfce4 Terminal ConnectBot putty, WSL Terminal.app
Shell zsh (grml-flavor) zsh in WSL zsh (grml-flavor)
Shell: Managing sessions tmux, tmuxp tmux tmux
Shell: Completion fzf
Shell: frecency dir teleporting z
Multiple Desktops xfce4 built-in Nova launcher built-in Spaces (built in)
Resize windows to predefined size (xdotool, wmctrl) DIY using AutoHotkey, (Sizer)
Remembering windows positions (Devil's Pie + gDevilspie) (WinSize2)
Clipboard history Clipman
WWW: browsing Firefox, Tor browser, Chromium Firefox Firefox, Chromium Firefox
WWW: removing malicious ads uBlock Origin (FF, Chrome) uBlock Origin for Firefox uBlock Origin (FF, Chrome)
WWW: removing active content NoScript NoScript
WWW: blocking web tracker Privacy Badger Privacy Badger
(WWW: overwrite site styles) (Stylus R.I.P.) (Stylus R.I.P.)
WWW: read it later Org mode share with Orgzly Org mode
WWW: archiving browser history SingleFileZ (not yet found) SingleFileZ (Shelve R.I.P.)
WWW: moving tabs between windows Tab Mover
WWW: managing tabs Tab Session Manager
WWW: naming tabs Window Titler
WWW: browser history → calendar Memacs Memacs
WWW: Managing web bookmarks Org mode Org mode
WWW: Bookmarks → calendar Memacs
WWW: Firefox → Org mode copy-as-org-mode Orgzly copy-as-org-mode (Copy as Org mode R.I.P.)
WWW: Firefox → Markdown Format Link
WWW: Firefox: edit text in Emacs (It's All Text!) It's All Text!
WWW: Firefox: pause animated GIFs (Toggle animated GIFs R.I.P.)
Tracking webpages without feeds FollowThatPage
Web server statistics GoAccess
Weather report (ORF Wetter) bergfex Wetter ORF Wetter
Launching software Appl. Finder, zsh Nova launcher built-in Start menu search Spotlight
Sandboxing applications Firejail, qemu/KVM NetGuard VirtualBox
Egg timer Three.do, Visual Timer
Adjusting monitor colors gammastep Android built-in f.lux f.lux
Mastodon client Web page Tusky Web page
(Twitter client) (Talon)
Tweets → calendar Memacs
Managing/reading RSS feeds Newsblur Webpage NewsBlur
Desktop search locate, Memacs built-in search, DocFetcher Spotlight, Memacs
Overview of disk usage xdu, ncdu DiskUsage WinDirStat Disk Inventory X
Find/eliminate duplicate files rdfind, duff (SD Maid Pro) rdfind
ISO 8601 file names → calendar Memacs (Memacs + Babun/crond) Memacs
ISO 8601 date-stamp → file names date2name date2name
SMS → calendar Memacs (via Android)
Phone calls → calendar Memacs (via Android)
Photographs: organizing files/folders files/folders files/folders files/folders
Photographs → calendar Memacs (via filenames) Memacs
Images: viewing geeqie Google Photos IrfanView Xee
Images: modifying GIMP paint.net GIMP
Images: Generating web albums sigal
Images: stitching panoramas Google Camera (built-in) PhotoStitch (Canon)
Images: visualizing GPS gpsprune + Marble
Images: screenshots Xfce4 Screenshooter Android built-in built-in: Win-Shift-S
Screencasts OBS Studio, Peek (GIF) Android built-in Game Bar, LICEcap (GIFs)
Visualizing pressed keys key-mon
Presentations: creating LibreOffice, org-reveal Powerpoint 2016, org-reveal
PDF: presenting pdfpc
PDF: reading Okular, pdf-tools Hi Read Sumatra PDF, pdf-tools Adobe Reader
PDF: annotating (pdf-tools) pdf-tools
PDF: generating Org mode, LaTeX, convert Org mode + TeX/pandoc export LaTeX
PDF: managing paper references Org mode (explanation)
eBooks: reading (Lithium: EPUB Reader)
Text: authoring LaTeX/HTML/… GNU Emacs GNU Emacs GNU Emacs
Inserting text snippets AutoKey Texpand AutoHotkey (not yet found)
Text: inserting Unicode chars emojione-picker, GNU/Emacs Standard Google
Text: minor editing tasks vim GNU Emacs vim
Software keyboard Standard Google
Emails: managing mutt (personal), Evolution K-9 Mail (Outlook 2016)
Emails: composing vim (personal), Evolution K-9 Mail (Outlook 2016)
Emails: Encrypting/signing GnuPG Gpg4win
Emails → calendar Memacs (personal), Evolution
Usenet/NNTP: managing slrn
Usenet/NNTP: composing postings vim
Usenet postings → calendar Memacs
Programming: IDE GNU Emacs GNU Emacs GNU Emacs
Programming: script languages Python 3, /bin/sh Tasker Python 3, /bin/sh /bin/sh, Python
VCS git (in zsh) + Magit git, Magit
VCS: Git commits → calendar Memacs
Managing passwords GNU Emacs Org mode, KeePassXC GNU Emacs Org mode, KeePassXC KeePassX
Generating TOTP PINs for 2FA FreeOTP
Calculator GNU Emacs Org mode Droid48 Org mode
Spreadsheets: simple (mostly) GNU Emacs Org mode GNU Emacs Org mode GNU Emacs Org mode
Spreadsheets: complex (rarely) LibreOffice Excel 2016 NeoOffice
Generate weblog (blog) lazyblorg
Instant messaging Signal Desktop Signal (Slack)
Videos: online searching ytfzf NewPipe
Videos: downloading yt-dlp NewPipe
Videos: watching mpv, (VLC) MX Player VLC
Videos: editing Kdenlive
Music: listening LibreELEC/RasPi, Rhythmbox MX Player, Noisly iTunes, (Taply)
Music: managing id3v2 tags puddletag
Podcasts: listening Podcast Addict
Multimedia remote Yatse (LibreELEC/Kodi)
Notifications GNU Emacs Org mode, notify-send (still looking)
Dictionary Leo Aard 2 Leo Leo
Barcodes & QR-codes: scanning Barcode Scanner
GPS: navigation OSM Website OsmAnd+
GPS: tracking OsmAnd+
GPS: visualize position(s) GpsPrune, Marble OsmAnd+
Backup rsnapshot Syncthing + desktop backup rsync, Unison Unison, rsync, Time Machine
Drawing vector graphics Org+PlantUML, Inkscape, (Ipe) GNU/Emacs + PlantUML
Digitizing paper to PDF + OCR VueScan SW for Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 Fujitsu ScanSnap S1500 + SW
Dual-SIM handling built-in
Public transportation system info AnachB

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