Crucial Digital Tools

As a proponent of ethical and secure computing, I rely on Free and Open-Source Software (FOSS) tools (and their free/freemium counterparts) that prioritize privacy, performance, and user control. Below is my curated toolkit to help you build a robust, secure, and efficient digital environment—no piracy needed.

🐧 Operating Systems

🔄 Linux Distributions

Switching to Linux has unlocked greater stability, automation, and battery life on my machines—all with zero cost and full encryption control. Here are the most beginner-friendly distros I recommend:

• Linux Mint — Known for its intuitive desktop and Windows-like familiarity, making the transition seamless.
• Fedora — A cutting-edge distro with rapid release cycles and a vibrant community; explore specialized bundles via Fedora Labs.
• Debian — The rock-solid foundation behind many distros (including Mint and Ubuntu), renowned for its stability and extensive package repository.

💼 Productivity Suites

📊 Office & Spreadsheets

Why pay for proprietary suites when FOSS alternatives cover all your needs?

• LibreOffice — A fully featured office suite (Writer, Calc, Impress, etc.) that’s compatible with Microsoft formats and backed by a large community.
• ONLYOFFICE Docs Community — A modern, web-based editor with robust collaboration features, released under the AGPL v3 license.

📝 Writing & Typesetting

✒️ LaTeX

For professional-grade documents—theses, articles, slides—LaTeX is unparalleled in handling complex mathematics, consistent formatting, and automated references.

• Distributions:
  • TeX Live (cross-platform)
  • MiKTeX (Windows)
• Editors:
  • TeXstudio
  • TeXmaker

🛠 Version Control

🔄 Git & Alternatives

Ditch ad-hoc filenames like Thesis_Final2.pdf—use version control to track changes, branch experiments, and collaborate seamlessly.

• Git — The industry-standard, distributed VCS, optimized for speed and flexibility.
• Alternatives:
  • Mercurial
  • Bazaar
• Hosting:
  • GitHub (proprietary, generous free tier)
  • FOSS alternatives: Codeberg, Gitea, Forgejo.

📧 Communication & Cloud

🔐 Secure Email & Storage

Your data should be yours alone. Proton’s end-to-end encryption ensures that no one—but you—can read your messages or files.

• Proton — Email, calendar, and cloud storage with zero-access encryption and Swiss privacy protections.
• Alternatives: Disroot, Tuta.

🔒 Security & Privacy

🔑 Password Managers

Never reuse passwords—secure all accounts with a FOSS password manager.

• KeePass — Lightweight, AES-256 and ChaCha20 encryption, cross-platform support via plugins.
• Bitwarden — Fully open-source, zero-knowledge architecture, audited by third parties.

Want to suggest additions or see more FOSS alternatives? Email me at FOSS@drshah.me.