Subscribe to one of my feeds:
- Most recent check of the status of all entries: 2022-09-11
- Changelog for most recent updates:
- 2017-04-30: replaced malicious Ghostery (browser add-on) with Privacy Badger
- 2017-10-29: added all my Android apps
- 2018-07-04: Stylish → Stylus because Stylish became spyware
- 2019-01-20: replaced GrazeRSS with NewsBlur (after many, many years because it's unmaintained)
- 2019-05-06: replaced ac'tivAid with AutoHotkey
- 2019-07-02: added "Scheduling group appointments" workflow
- 2019-08-29: replaced ChangeDetection.com with Follow That Page (because CD does not deliver text emails any more)
- 2019-09-04: added Texpand Pro (Android snippets)
- 2020-01-25: not using Windows any more for now; link to corresponding Emacs software page
- 2020-05-31: changing Linux backup to rsnapshot (from restic which can not deal with HDD-out-of-space situations)
- 2020-06-25: MobileOrg → Orgzly also for mobile capture (MobileOrg is unmaintained and I got issues)
- 2020-11-24: Shelve → SingleFileZ for archiving web pages
- 2021-03-04: Clipboard management via Clipman
- 2021-06-01: Moved from Thunderbird to Evolution
- 2021-09-29: copy-as-org-mode
- 2021-11-22: mplayer → mpv
- 2021-12-11: z, fzf, yt-dlp, goaccess, NewPipe
- 2021-12-21: cend.me or snapdrop.net for local file exchange
- 2022-09-11: general update
- 2023-01-10: Redshift died due to Wayland: moved to gammastep
- 2023-03-08: Texpand Plus → Texpand 2.0
- 2023-06-05: general update
- removed: Virtualbox, Twitter
- added: tmuxp, qemu/KVM, notify-send
- replaced: impressive → pdfpc
- 2023-09-17: added FreeOTP
- 2023-11-09: link to my NixOS configuration
- 2023-12-10: Aard 2
- 2024-07-22: Firefox → LibreWolf, FreeOTP → Aegis
- 2024-08-18: NewPipe → Tubular
- 2024-08-24: Xubuntu LTS → NixOS (I switched a year ago)
- 2024-09-28: Stock Android → GrapheneOS (GOS)
- different Barcode Scanner
- Orgzly → Orgzly Revived
- mobile Firefox → Vanadium (and some add-ons were not required any more)
- Netguard → GOS
- added Obtainium for installing apps
- Simple Text Editor
- R.I.P. Noisly (discontinued)
- removed Twitter everywhere
- added after using it for quite some while:
- SW keyboard: HeliBoard
- Home Assistant
- MyHomeFIT
- VLC for listening to local music
- Yatse
- Squeezer
- StreetComplete
- 2024-10-20: games section
- 2024-10-30: Syncthing Android → Catfriend1/syncthing-android: Syncthing-Fork because the Android version gets discontinued
- 2024-11-03: K-9 Mail → Thunderbird Mobile because K-9 is going to be discontinued and replaced by it.
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, NixOS | GrapheneOS (GOS) | (Windows 10) | (OS X Leopard?) |
| Software installing | apt | Obtainium, Play Store | ||
| Files: managing | zsh, GNU/Emacs dired | GOS + Astro File Manager Pro | dired, FreeCommander, babun/zsh | zsh, Finder |
| Files: synchronizing | Syncthing | Syncthing-Fork | 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 Revived | GNU Emacs Org mode | GNU Emacs Org mode |
| Taking notes, capturing ideas | GNU Emacs Org mode | Orgzly Revived | 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 | LibreWolf, Tor browser, Chromium | Vanadium | Firefox, Chromium | Firefox |
| WWW: removing malicious ads | uBlock Origin (FF, Chrome) | Vanadium built-in | uBlock Origin (FF, Chrome) | |
| WWW: removing active content | NoScript | Vanadium built-in | ||
| WWW: blocking web tracker | (built-in LibreWolf) | Vanadium built-in | Privacy Badger | |
| (WWW: overwrite site styles) | (Stylus R.I.P.) | (Stylus R.I.P.) | ||
| WWW: read it later | Org mode | share with Orgzly Revived | 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: Browser → Org mode | copy-as-org-mode | Orgzly Revived | copy-as-org-mode | (Copy as Org mode R.I.P.) |
| WWW: Browser → Markdown | Format Link | |||
| WWW: Browser → edit text in Emacs | (It's All Text!) | It's All Text! | ||
| WWW: Browser: 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 | GOS built-in | 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 | |
| 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 + Google Photos | 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 | GOS built-in | 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 | (see "software keyboard") | ||
| Text: minor editing tasks | vim | Simple Text Editor | GNU Emacs | vim |
| Software keyboard | HeliBoard | |||
| Emails: managing | mutt (personal), Evolution | Thunderbird Mobile | (Outlook 2016) | |
| Emails: composing | vim (personal), Evolution | Thunderbird Mobile | (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 | KeePassXC | Aegis | ||
| 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 | Tubular | ||
| Videos: downloading (streaming) | yt-dlp | Tubular | ||
| Videos: watching | mpv, (VLC) | MX Player | VLC | |
| Videos: editing | Kdenlive | |||
| Music: listening | LibreELEC/RasPi, Rhythmbox | VLC | iTunes, (Taply) | |
| Music: controlling remote devices | Yatse, Squeezer | |||
| 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+ | ||
| GPS: editing maps | JOSM | StreetComplete (OSM) | ||
| Home automatization | Home Assistant | Home Assistant Android | ||
| 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 | |
| Rowing machine | MyHomeFIT | |||
| Dual-SIM handling | built-in | |||
| Public transportation system info | AnachB |
Games
As you might have noticed: no games in the table above. This is not a mistake because I do not consider myself a computer gamer at all.
For the sake of completeness, I'd like to provide a list of computer games I remember playing for a while:
- Atari 2600 home video game console: still my one and only game console!
- Test Drive 2
- Duke Nukem (1): I set up a dosbox a few years ago to be able to play that classic for a couple of hours again.
- Doom
- Quake
- Descent II: probably my most overall intense gaming experience as I really liked that thing. I even bought some fancy joysticks for that.
- some random Android tower defense game I played as long as I was able to win all the time (some months)
Unlike most geeks I knew, I never had any of those devices: Commodore 64, Commodore 128, Amiga, Atari ST, Game Boy, PlayStation, Xbox, Sega-consoles, ...
I mostly played around with GNU/Linux and lots of FOSS software instead. As of 2024-10-20, my boss enemy is NixOS and it looks like I've finally found something I can not beat/handle/manage. :-)