Uses

Here’s a list of the software I use on a near-daily basis. I prefer FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) where possible, or software with permissive lifetime licensing.

Self Hosted Software

I have a little computer in my house (a Raspberry Pi 4), connected to the internet and running an operating system called YunoHost, with a collection of web services that replace things you might use every day, like a search engine, or a cloud storage platform to backup and sync files on your computer.

Why bother? For one thing, it saves me money — I don’t have to pay Google for extra Google Drive storage if I’m hosting it myself. It also protects my privacy. Hosting my own search engine means Microsoft can’t track the websites I visit and use them to target ads at me.

But most importantly (to me), it means I’m in control of the tools I use. Amazon can’t delete an e-book from my account halfway through me reading it; Netflix can’t take my favourite show off my own streaming service. If there’s an update to a piece of software that breaks one of my workflows, I get to decide whether I install that update or not.

If you’re interested in learning more, or taking any of these services for a spin, email me and I’ll create you an account, for free. Here’s what I’m running at the moment: