📡 Category: Toolbox
🌳 Daily Software
This page is for detailing the software I use on a regular basis, everything from web browsers to note taking apps. I do prefer open source software where possible, but sometimes a feature set wins me over. I do try to avoid software that is anti-privacy however, because screw those guys!
🕸️ Web Browsers
- Zen Browser I've been a huge fan of Firefox for many years, but in the last few months Zen has been my main browser.
- Vivaldi - I love the feature set of this browser, and do use it sometimes, but ultimately I prefer a Firefox base over a Chromium one.
✍️ Note Taking & Digital Journalling
- Obsidian - This is an incredibly powerful and versatile note-taking app. I use it every day, not just for quick notes but for all of my online writing.
- SilverBullet - I've only begun using this recently. There's a learning curve to it, but oh my is it powerful. So worth it. I'm currently using it as a private journal, hosted on my home server.
✉️ Email / VPN / Password Manager
- I use Proton for all of these things, across all of my various devices. I've used the email service for around 7 years now, but in the last year have also switched to using their VPN and password management services. They're a very good Google alternative and I've been really happy with them - it's not often you can say that about a large(ish) company these days!
⌨️ Coding
-
Code - OSS - This is basically VS Code but without the proprietary stuff and the telemetry that Microsoft loves to enforce. I'm probably going to switch to something else eventually, but for now I use this (mostly when building with Eleventy or other SSG's). And when I say coding, I mostly mean adapting or copying code provided by others, or editing text files. I am not a coder, I'm a "tinkerer".
I'm still grieving the loss of Atom since the devs stopped maintaining it.
🎶 Music
- Since switching back full time to Linux in October 2025, Strawberry has been my main player. It's not overly fancy, but it does the job well enough.
- Spotify - Yeah, I don't like them as a company either, but it's somewhat a necessary evil when you're a music addict. I do also buy vinyl, or digital copies from Bandcamp as much as I can too, because it's important to support the musicians you love. Especially the independent ones, they need to eat as well!