======================================================================
Title:       Uses
Date:        2023-03-23
Link:        https://spool-five.com/uses/
Word Count:  673
======================================================================



Uses
====

These are the tools that I frequently use. I set up this page after
discovering this useful blog[1] which interviews people about what they
use to get the job done.
=>[1] https://usesthis.com/

Last updated: 2023-10-28 Sat

Hardware
--------

_Laptops_

My main laptop is an Asus VivoBook X512DA. I bought this laptop when I
moved to Korea in early 2021. I had brought a different laptop with me,
but it didn't survive the journey. In Korea, there are a lot of
identification checks required when shopping online on a lot of major
sites, so I needed a local to actually buy it for me. The receptionist
at a training school I was attending was nice enough to order it for
me, and in return I gave her some sweets I had brought over from Ireland.
It cost around 400,000KRW (around 400 USD), and arrived with no OS
preinstalled. I ended up installing PopOS on it, and so began my linux
journey!

It's not a powerful laptop, but I like using it because the screen is
quite large (15.6 inch), at least compared to my other two main laptops,
a Thinkpad X230, and a Thinkpad X220. The Thinkpad X230 was also bought
in Korea and was around 120USD, the Thinkpad X220 was bought more recently
for 70 EUR, with a few upgrades/repairs needed.

I far prefer the keyboard and other ergonomics of the thinkpads, but
again, I stick with the Asus for the most part because of the screen.

Update 2023-10-28: Last July, I finally caved and bought a Macbook Air
M1. It's my first time using a Mac/MacOS, and to be honest I really love
it! It was very easy to switch to it from using Linux, with all of the
same cli-tools still available. Everything I wrote about below in the
'software' section still applies. 

_Desktop_

I use a Ryzen-based desktop (integrated graphics), with Windows/Gnome
dual booted. This is the main device I use when playing games (on Windows)
or doing any kind of music production (again, using Windows/Abelton).
It also is the main backup/storage source of my files.

_Raspberry Pi4B_

I've had one of these for a few years now and it's a great little tool
for lots of random applications.

_Kindle_

My Kindle is the longest running piece of tech I use. I got it in 2011
and it's still going strong.

Software
--------

I installed Arch on my Asus laptop in mid 2021 and have been using the
same install without issue ever since. I used bspwm for a long time,
and recently switched to hyprland/wayland.

Neofetch Screenshot[2]
=>[2] https://spool-five.com/img/20230323_18h02m45s_grim.png

Here is the list of the main software I use in my common workflows.
Obviously, there are also a huge amount of smaller utilities that I
depend on, but I'll stick to the major programmes for now.

| Tool                  | Functions                                                                            | Alternative to?            |
|-----------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
| Emacs                 | Word Processing                                                                      | Microsoft Word, etc.       |
|                       | Coding                                                                               | VSCode                     |
|                       | mail (mu4e)[3]                                            |                            |
=>[3] mu4e
|                       | Feed Reader (elfeed)[4]                             | Youtube, News Websites     |
=>[4] elfeed
|                       | Network Client (web/gopher/gemini)                                                   |                            |
|                       | Chat (erc[5])                            |                            |
=>[5] https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/erc.html
|                       | File explorer/manager (Dired[6]) |                            |
=>[6] https://www.deinprogramm.de/sperber/software/dired/
|                       | Note Management (denote[7])                     |                            |
=>[7] https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote
|                       | Time Tracking/Task Management (org[8])                          |                            |
=>[8] https://orgmode.org/
|                       | Keeping a Diary (denote[9])                     |                            |
=>[9] https://protesilaos.com/emacs/denote
| Git                   | Version Control                                                                      |                            |
| Mpv                   | Watching Videos                                                                      |                            |
| Ncmpcpp/Mpd           | Playing Music, Streaming Radio                                                       |                            |
| Minidlna/Transmission | Streaming Videos on local network                                                    | Netflix/Streaming Services |
| Ledger                | Managing/Tracking Personal Finances                                                  |                            |
| Syncthing             | Sharing files between devices                                                        | Dropbox, etc.              |
| Streamlink            | Streaming Twitch (w/mpv)                                                             |                            |
    

Dream setup
-----------

I'm not sure that I have a 'dream setup', I prefer to work with what I
already have. Working within limitations can often lead to creative
solutions and a better understanding of the underlying tech.

I suppose I would love to have some kind of server rack and start self
hosting some things. At the moment, I rent/share a place and we don't
have the ability have ports forwarded, etc.