Software Endorsements

[Sharpeteer]

I used to use the Password Manager called "KeePass Password Safe" for awhile, but it became increasingly unstable on my system over time - the main issue being that if the window was large enough, trying to click on some areas of said window would cause the software to glitch and crash. Switched to "KeePassXC", which still uses the kdbx database files, and it's much much better. I'm a fan of it.

Calibre just works.

That's the best kind of software - the kind that just works.

 

[Mike Matei's Penis]

EarTrumpet is a good replacement for the Windows 10 audio mixer if you don't like that always light themed bullshit.

 

[9th year in hell]

Photography: a "minimal" free list.

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For all the anons farmers who don't want to use Adobe Lightroom or DxO PhotoLab for photography, I got some "workable" free alternatives that do indeed work on Linux, works great for beginners but if you are "pro" you can ignore this post, ngl you are stuck with LR, DxO or Capture One.

RAW photo editors / "photo developer" software

• RawTherapee, GitHub (FOSS)
• darktable, GitHub (FOSS)

Since these softwares lack some RAW file support for newer cameras or you might have very obscure camera files, you have to suck it up to at least one single Adobe software if you want a wide camera support for your computer:

• Adobe DNG Negative Converter (well... at least it's free and can be installed and run 100% offline, so the installer can be archived)

If you got a bunch of reference photos or images you are "inspired" by and want to have them side by side (good for quick checking your stuff as a beginner to compare your images), I would recommend the following:

• PureRef (not FOSS, but nice)
• beeref, GitHub (FOSS, but I have not tested this one if it works)

 

[9th year in hell]

Video editing: a "minimal" free list.

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So I thought that maybe I could share my list of software tha actually works when it comes to editing videos, software that isn't a huge /g/ meme.

Video editors:

• DaVinci Resolve (It's so good! 100% offline installer + free version works for pretty much 99%, if you are creative you can work around that another 0.99%)
• Kdenlive (It's FOSS, but not nearly as good as the above option)

Video converters:

• Gyroflow (Video stabilizer)
• Handbrake, GUI version of ffmpeg (To convert video formats)
• VLC, if you are on Linux MPV seems more popular (Media player)

Screen recorder: OBS Studio (I know it's been posted before, but it's just so good at what it does!)

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If your PC is struggling, you need to learn how to use "proxy files", that's how big studios work with 2 TB 8K 10bit video files. This method can even make your potato laptop edit 4K videos if done right (exporting in the end will still be slow tho...).

Spoiler: Not so minimal anymore... (can be ignored)

MKV documentaion and information: https://www.matroska.org

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Video editors that are FOSS and you hate Kdenlive (I wouldn't recommend them...):

• Shotcut (Buggy mess)
• Olive (Buggy mess)

I really recommend DaVinci Resolve, in the end of the day it works so much better than anything else and it's just a tool (stop falling for the /g/ memes). If you are paranoid about them going the Adobe route, archive the installer that is 100% offline (the paid version is not offline, only the free one).

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Some CD/DVD burner software if you want to save your videos and music. I will post different ones since it really depends on OS, reader/burner driver and CD type. Optical drives are a mess since it's a dying tech at the moment... so you have to tinker yourself to see what works on you system and your task:

• ImgBurn
• MakeMKV
• xfburn (for Linux users)
• Brasero, link to the gnome wiki, no official "site" (for Linux users)

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Got a shitty stock Android camera app and want manual control (good idea to learn if you want to learn filming stuff): Open Camera

 

[mag_fag]

ProtonMail has started to ask for recovery email + phone number if you sign up and your IP address gets flagged as abuse to their overeager system. One way you can get around this is provide them fakes, save, then delete after the fact.

Gay.

 

[Flaming Dumpster]

Video editors:

Avidemux is a worthy inclusion I think. It's a bit hard for the uninitiated to setup, but once you get used to its controls and learn the keyboard shortcuts, it's amazing how fast you can clip something. It's just a linear video editor so you can't do a lot of fancy tricks with it, but it's perfect if you're just cutting out a section of video from a livestream or something like that.

 

[Car Won't Crank]

Video editors:

Worth it to add Blender too. Its video editor is great for doing a lot of basic things and even complex stuff like rotoscoping.

 

[9th year in hell]

Avidemux is a worthy inclusion I think. It's a bit hard for the uninitiated to setup, but once you get used to its controls and learn the keyboard shortcuts, it's amazing how fast you can clip something. It's just a linear video editor so you can't do a lot of fancy tricks with it, but it's perfect if you're just cutting out a section of video from a livestream or something like that.

My list was aimed for a full editing suite (anything from amateur to a professional level). With color grading and audio mixing included. Sure for clipping it might do the job. But I don't see any grading or audio mixing tools in Avidemux.

Worth it to add Blender too. Its video editor is great for doing a lot of basic things and even complex stuff like rotoscoping.

FOSS-tards will seethe at this. but someone has to say it:
Blender is a meme, I exclude it because unless you are VFX artist, the Blender UI is not for video at all (the color grading is a nightmare and the audio is a joke). Avoid Blender for video. If you also are a VFX artists, camera tracing and rotoscoping is probably done in Nuke or DaVinci Resolve Fusion too. Only install Blender if you have plans doing 3D modeling (which Blender is pretty good at), otherwise don't bother using it.

 

[Car Won't Crank]

Blender is a meme, I exclude it because unless you are VFX artist, the Blender UI is not for video at all (the color grading is a nightmare and the audio is a joke). Avoid Blender for video. If you also are a VFX artists, camera tracing and rotoscoping is probably done in Nuke or DaVinci Resolve Fusion too. Only install Blender if you have plans doing 3D modeling (which Blender is pretty good at), otherwise don't bother using it.

That's why I said it's great for doing basic things - things you'd do using windows movie maker back in the days. However, if you want to do more complex things you can. It's not optimal, but the features are there. Obviously in a production video editing environment it's not great, but for the hobbyist who whips together some videos every now and then, it more than suffices.

 

[Xarpho's Return]

What is a good software recommendation for backing up an iPhone onto a Windows computer without iTunes (as I did on my old one, and that thing ate up memory)?

There are a bunch of apps out there but half the articles talking about them is AI, 'jeets, or advertising, and I don't want to find something barely functional that won't correctly unless you cough up $30+ for a limited-time license.

 

[9th year in hell]

Writing & documenting: a free "it just works" list.

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In my last two recomendations for photography and video editing, I thought I could share what I use for writing, since I'm at university and since STEM students doesn't use Microsoft 365, we are have to figure out our own "workflow". This is my "works for me" list:

Text and spreadsheet (pick one):

• LibreOffice (FOSS, but looks "old")
• OnlyOffice, GitHub (Only the desktop is open source, not the mobile version. But it looks more "modern" for those who wants that)

"Comfy" markdown text editors (pick one):

• Obsidian (free proprietary, but not bloated)
• Logseq, GitHub (FOSS, but slow)

(Do not fall for the "productivity" meme trap with dowloading plugins and so on, just use the vanilla version a.k.a just use them as they come installed and just use it as it is!)

Ebook readers (all shit btw):

• Firefox / Zen Browser (for .PDF the web browser works good enough, on laptop/desktop at least)
• MuPDF, GitHub (you have to compile it yourself)
• Okular (Linux)
• Thorium Reader, GitHub (another ebook reader that will go to the stockpile of "meh" ebook readers)

Some miscellaneous stuff:

• Document converter: Pandoc, GitHub
• Making flowcharts: Draw io, GitHub (keep in mind that Obsidian and Logseq have a "canvas" mode that can make nice flowcharts too)
• Archive/compress your folders: 7zip
• Offline Wikipedia (in other words pretty useless, but it can potentially be used to store other sites too, see thread): Kiwix

But in all honesty, nothing beats pen and paper for taking notes, and any operating system comes with an absolute barebone text editor and that's good enough (Notepad <3)

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Spoiler: LaTeX

LaTeX (if you need to write heckn Science™ shit, but it's really nice if you are writing technical stuff in general):

Information: https://www.latex-project.org/

• TeX Live (compiler thing)

LaTeX editors:

• TeXstudio, GitHub (my personal choice)
• Texmaker
• Lyx

Bibliography/ citation generator (also a decent "book" sorter software): Zotero, GitHub

 

[Baraka Obama]

Ebook readers (all shit btw):

• Firefox / Zen Browser (for .PDF the web browser works good enough, on laptop/desktop at least)
• MuPDF, GitHub (you have to compile it yourself)
• Okular (Linux)
• Thorium Reader, GitHub (another ebook reader that will go to the stockpile of "meh" ebook readers)

Have you tried YACReader? It's geared towards manga but I like using it to read pdf / jpeg folders of scans of old Japanese magazines since it makes it easy to do 2 pages up in the correct order (R2L).

It doesn't support epub afaik but it is trivial to bulk convert those.

 

[9th year in hell]

It doesn't support epub afaik but it is trivial to bulk convert those.

That's my main problem: EPub and DjVu books being all jank. Technically they should be nicer since you can adjust the text size and still keep the format intact on the screen. Can't believe with all this tech today (+200GB games, cloud computing and other shit), yet a simple thing as reading a document on the screen is one of the most uncomfortable janky experinces you will have using a computer.

 

[Samhain]

YACReader

I don't read comic books often, but this app makes reading comics on my iPad a pleasure. The desktop version is very good too.

 

[Clobber3]

"Comfy" markdown text editors (pick one):

I have got to say, I've been using Notes nook lately and it's been really great. Can't recommend it enough. https://notesnook.com/

 

[Clobber3]

Does anyone know of a software that could read me off a sort of summary of my RSS feeds over a certain time frame? Or is the best option, manually scanning the headlines?

 

[9th year in hell]

I have got to say, I've been using Notes nook lately and it's been really great. Can't recommend it enough. https://notesnook.com/

Looks alright, fills my criterias:

• One click install (all major 3 OS + mobile)
• Run 100% offline
• Not convoluted (not a gimmick, distracting or bloated)
• Does what it's supposed to do ("Just works")

Open source too, that's nice. I still prefer Obsidian since it looks less "cluttered" on top (personal opinion there), I will add this to my list for future posts about this topic.

 

[Blood Bath & Beyond]

I'm wondering if anyone has any recommendations for a anonymous/pseudoanonymous phone service.

What I'm looking for is either:
A. A decent VoIP that can send/recieve texts, takes crypto, doesn't require a real name attached to it and has a functional app for use on an Android-based device.
B. Some sort of text/call forwarding service which provides the user with a secondary number which when it is texted or called will forward those texts and calls directly to the primary number.
C. Some service which might fall somewhere inbetween the two previous options.

Basically I've recently been noticing more and more often that there are now many services which for presumably retarded reasons do not offer the user the option to create a new account via traditional email, but instead require them to connect with their Apple ID/Discord/Google account/Phone Number. Since I will absolutely not be giving any such service any of my personally identifiable information I am now looking at alternative routes to access and while I could just use one of my burner Gmail accounts (created without a phone number) I'm thinking that it's still probably a good idea for me to source out some option for a pseudoanonymous or, if possibile, a fully anonymous phone service. Any recommendations?

 

[Quioui]

Last I checked you need a phone number even for a Google account (unless you're creating the account from a new smartphone), and you'd have to use Monero to buy a burner number to even attempt owning a truly anonymous account.

 

[9th year in hell]

Audio recording and music production: a free starter list (mostly FOSS).

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I'm not going to sugarcoat it, the available FOSS music software market (DAW - Digital Audio Workstation) is pretty lackluster when it comes to QoL and if you are doing more proffesional stuff, you will have to pay up or crack the stuff you are going to work with this. If you want to go "pro", I would suggest FL Studio, Ableton, Logic Pro, Reaper or other major DAWs out there. But if you are a beginner who wants to tinker around FOSS stuff, there have been some developments, stuff that can at least "can work" if you are dedicated to just get sounds out of it.

DAW (pick your poison):

• Zrythm, Gitlab (FOSS, but "limited" if you don't compile it yourself)
• Ardour, GitHub (FOSS, looks ugly)

Spoiler: Additional "DAWs"

Qtractor, MusE and LMMS are memes, barebone or no VST support at all. Some doesn't have any audio file/"sample" support since they are not really DAWs, they are more sequencers. Can be fun to play with, but not in any capacity something to record stuff with. There is also this problem that VST is a copyrighed protocol, so you have to pay for it. Since this is the "industry standard " format for how audio works today, FOSS has become very limited because of this. Someone has to pay for the licence thing in order to distribute the software (FOSS or not, doesn't matter!). There is an attempt to have alternative for it (.CLAP), but they are a joke since only a few big DAWs supports it. So for now, you have to suck it up, just like every single one of us who uses a computer to make music with has done. This is why some of the FOSS ones costs money for a compiled version (and that devs are just greedy too).

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When it comes to the big DAW software brands, the stock plugins (the ones that are "pre-installed" you can say) are very good today, and you won't need that many third-party plug ins to get a great sound. However, can't say the same for the FOSS DAWs, they are absolute trash. So we need some synths and effects that aren't gimmick/meme ware.

Generators to "make" sounds:

• Surge XT, GitHub (FOSS)
• Odin 2, GitHub (FOSS)
• For making drums/kicks: GeonKick, GitHub (FOSS, but you have to compile it yourself)

Effects to make sounds "fit" the song:

• LFO tool (to manualy make sound "duck", a.k.a sidechaining): Gate1 (FOSS)
• Equalizer (to cut and boost frequencies of your sounds): ZLEqualizer (FOSS, but buggy)
• Oscilloscope (to "see" your audiowaves visually in real time): Scrollscope (FOSS, never tested it)
• Analog Obsession suite, a free (non-FOSS) collection of really nice compressors, saturators and other effects.
• Spectral Plugins a reverb, transient shaper and a saturator plug-in (non-FOSS abandonware)
• Limiter ("squashes" to the audio sounds more "even"): LoudMax (non-FOSS, but they got VST 2, so it works in OBS)
• ReaPack, I mentioned Reaper before as a DAW, well they actually realeased their stock plugins as free plugins (non-FOSS, but they got VST 2, so it works in OBS)

Miscellaneous:

• DJ software: Mixxx, GitHub (only useful if you got a DJ deck, and if you do they probably have a nicer software for it since this FOSS shit is janky as hell)
• Audio stretcher (can make cool ambient sounds with it) PaulXStretch, GitHub.

To end this post, there are a lot of alternative DAWs and plugins (ohh God there is so many of them!). But this is the stuff that can get you started. Or you can just us AI and never touch any of this... the choice is yours.