software

🙇 you can skip my free software rant if you're only interested in seeing the software i use

i try to use free software as much as possible, and i believe you should too. embracing free software isn't merely about virtue signaling; it's a practical choice that can have real impacts.

"Free software" means software that respects users' freedom and community. Roughly, it means that the users have the freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. Thus, "free software" is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of "free" as in "free speech," not as in "free beer". We sometimes call it "libre software," borrowing the French or Spanish word for "free" as in freedom, to show we do not mean the software is gratis. - The Free Software Foundation

keeping a secret from others is not an evil itself. everyone has secrets, everyone has a right to keep their work to themselves. you are not doing something evil merely because you don't wish to share something per se; rather, it's about recognizing that in the realm of software, sharing knowledge is paramount for ensuring that no power imbalance exists in access to technology. when proprietary software is kept secret, it creates a power imbalance between those who have access to the code and those who do not. this secrecy can lead to issues that range from hidden vulnerabilities to violations of privacy where you are beholden to the whims of the proprietary software provider.

by withholding the source code, developers (or providers) are essentially denying the users the freedom to understand, modify, and share the software as they see fit. when proprietary software is monetized without granting users the freedom to inspect and modify it, the power imbalance is further exacerbated. users are forced into a transaction where they exchange money for a product whose inner workings they cannot scrutinize or change. this creates a culture of dependency on closed systems.

contrary to the misconceptions, advocating for free software does not mean that developers cannot sell their products. it instead means that the software respects your rights as a user to inspect, modify, and redistribute as they see fit. free software is not about price; it's about liberty.

programming

• emacs
  • "People don't just quit emacs. They just die at some point."
  • it took me a year of getting used to, and i'm still getting used to emacs
  • i used to use vs code, and in some regards vs code is much better suited for multiplatform use like on macos, but if you absolutely have to use vs code i suggest VSCodium.
  • if emacs is not your fancy, KDevelop is a good alternative on gnu/linux platforms.

• oh-my-zsh
  • zsh but awesome, can be installed on gnu/linux and macos

web browsing

modern day browsing requires a modern browser. while advocacy groups like the fsf may not fully endorse organizations like mozilla due to issues ranging from drm to their partnership with google it's important to recognize the work mozilla has done in offering a fully free and alterable web browser.

there are alternatives to mozilla's firefox like ungoogled chromium if chromium is a must. but i believe that a good browser must come from a reputable source, a source that has moved mountains in the space of web browsers, and a source that (while hindered) continues to advocate for a free internet.

• firefox

  • comes preinstalled on most gnu/linux distros
  • can be altered to suit your needs such as browser syncing

• librewolf

  • an excellent alternative that offers firefox without any unwanted telemetry
  • comes with ublock origin already installed
  • can be altered further to include things such as browser syncing

drawing and digital art

i feel like for many who learn to draw digitally they are pushed towards adobe or clipart as the only go tos for drawing on a computer. if you feel like adobe is your only option, remember that pirating adobe products is always morally correct.

Kiki and Konqi by goshaag

• Krita
  • krtia is a piece of kde software that can be used cross platform
  • it used to have performance issues outside of gnu/linux, but has improved since
  • it works and performs well with different drivers
  • the qt interface is easy to learn and navigate after some use
  • is an excellent alternative to adobe, clipart, or sai
  • i argue it should be the go to tool for digital artists

operating systems

this is an area of contention for many, especially gen z and alpha. we're too used to windows. i have to admit i have fond memories of windows xp and 7 from school and i argue they were some of the best versions of windows microsoft ever released including windows 8 (yes, windows 8, it was very optimized).

we're also too used to ios, and i'm also personally very fond of windows phone (yes, i loved the ui and it presented an open platform that was recognizable).

to that i say, it's OK! i have a macbook, an iphone, and still use windows (followers of our gnu/lord sue me). it's important to recognize that free software is something that presents itself not just a way of doing, but a philosophy. the more people begin to use free software on their closed systems, the more inclined they may be to use more free software. that's how i started.

now, i only use windows solely for gaming with anticheats like faceit or honkai. that's where it ends. the moment i can natively play these games without windows my desktop will be fully liberated. yes, i've thought about virtualization but it presents many technical issues with lockdown browser from school.

Fedora Linux 39 with KDE Plasma spin, my taskbar is at the top

• Fedora Linux

  • some of you may ask... really?? fedora?? use arch!!!
  • i used to use arch btw, but the ich of distro hopping never left me especially when i just wanted a system that can work without needing a lot of work
  • when i finally got my hands on my first thinkpad, arch was not doing it any justice and fedora presented itself as a rock solid os for my older and newer devices
  • so far, my ich for distro hopping is none and fedora has become my go to for everything

• KDE Plasma 5

  • another of many my many kde endorsements
  • an excellent and easy to use desktop environment
  • requires minimal work to get it the way you want
  • easy to customize, i use a soothing pastel theme called catppuccin
  • it is a bit heavier than gnome, but gnome just has too many wrong opinions and breaking changes with each new release that it should not be a feasible desktop environment to those who want a system that just works
  • many people that i showed plasma and gnome to found plasma to be much easier and appealing than gnome

Konqi the KDE dragon

video editing

• Kdenlive
  • as much as i am an advocate for free software, i didn't really believe a free alternative could be just as good as the rest
  • to my shock, kdenlive proved to be an easy to use with rich feature video editor
  • it may not work for everyone, and it does take some getting used to so i understand not everyone may like it
  • remember that it's still always morally correct to pirate adobe products