Tools of the Trade

Source: Dev.to

Background

I am gradually migrating away from Big Tech, a shift that began years ago and gained momentum in 2025 due to questionable actions by major technology and social‑media companies. My focus now is on open‑source, privacy‑focused applications and services.

Hardware

• Raspberry Pi 4 (8 GB) – Used as a daily driver for basic Python lessons with Thonny, an IDE I still use on all my machines while evaluating alternatives such as Pulsar Editor, PyCharm, and Zed Editor.
• Lenovo G50 laptop – Runs Manjaro Linux with Xfce and serves as my backup development machine.
• ASUS TUF laptop – Planned for dual‑booting as I further reduce dependence on Microsoft.
• Future desktop – A new PC with Fedora KDE is slated for 2027.

Development Tools

• Thonny – Ideal for beginners learning Python.
• Pulsar Editor, PyCharm, Zed Editor – Tools I am currently weighing against Thonny.
• GitHub – Refreshed at the start of the year; I plan to migrate to Codeberg before the end of 2026.
• Fediverse – Potential future presence on decentralized social media.

Productivity & Knowledge Management

• Joplin – My primary note‑taking app for lesson notes.
• Logseq – Targeted for storing snippets and linking information.
• Calibre – Manages my eBook collection, including Automate the Boring Stuff with Python by Al Sweigart and guides by Flavio Copes.

Sync & Backup

• Syncthing – Keeps project files synchronized across devices.
• External hard drive + Déjà Dup – Local backup solution.
• Filen – Cloud backup service I currently use.
• Nextcloud / OpenMediaVault – Services I intend to adopt in the future.

Conclusion

This post outlines the open‑source tools and services I rely on daily. With a bit of research, you may discover additional alternatives that suit your workflow.