Uses
here is the tech and software I use
Updated: 2024-03-23 - changed Linux distro, and other stuff.
On this page I show you what kind of tech and software I use. I don't have a lot of money for stuff, and even I would have some money, I wouldn't spend it on tech. Honestly for a person growing up with computers, I am a pretty techless person.
Hardware
Desktop
Just a refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre 92p. The only thing I added was an nVidia GT1030 card, instead of a very crappy Intel integrated one (HD 2000?). It works very well for what I need (web work, watching movies, and retro games).
E-book reader
Pocketbook Touch Lux 4, which is now three years old I think. Works really well, love the e-ink screen. Read many-many books on it in 2022, and I hope it will serve me well for the next several years.
Mobile phone
Samsung S5610, my trusty phone of 9 years, you can throw it, but it will not break. Screen is still clean. Sound is good, and it's important for me, as I mostly use it for call and music/podcast stuff. Supports 16 GB SD card, which is more than enough for my needs. It has a nice 5 MP camera, and that's much more than current dumbphones. I hope I don't have to switch anytime soon.
Software
Operating System: Linux
Distribution: MX Linux
Window manager: bspwm
Utilities (terminal and text-based)
Keyboard shortcuts: sxkhd - mainly because of bspwm, but you can use it for any system.
Terminal emulator: kitty.
File manager: lf, or mc (midnight commander) in the terminal.
Automount: udiskie
Launcher, wallpaper setter: rofi, dmenu, chwall script with feh. I really like both dmenu and rofi, so I use it both.
Text editor and other stuff: Emacs.
Bookmark manager: buku or org-capture mode in Emacs in the past, but now I just trust I don't lose my browser bookmarks.
RSS reader: Newsboat.
Download videos or mp3 from youtube: Youtube-dl - you can use it too view videos directly, with mpv
Music player: ncmpcpp and mpd, or Qmmp with original WinAmp skin.
Screen color temperature: sct
Screen locker: slock
Utilities (graphical)
Web browser: Vivaldi
Video player: mpv (forever and ever)
Youtube: Freetube
File manager: Thunar or PCManFM
Password manager: currently I am on paper, since my password database got corrupted. Don't know what to do at the moment…
Gaming stuff: I use GOG most of the time, but if it's not there Steam (Proton too). If I use Wine I create separate prefixes, or use Lutris, occasionally Dosbox. For other games I use ScummVM.
Graphic editing: Inkscape and GIMP
Image viewer: sxiv or feh
Bittorrent: Transmission, because I can't make rtorrent work.
AppImages
Chatterino: I don't use it much these days, but it's still good for watching twitch, if it's your jam.
Cool-Retro-Term: remembering the nice old days of DOS with this spectacular terminal emulator. It has lots of themes and effect that you can apply so you can feel, like you are using your computer from the 80s.
Flameshot: I like this screenshot program, because you can easily do things as cropping, adding text and graphical elements.
Freetube: a youtube viewer outside of your browser.
