---
title: "App Defaults In Late 2023"
date: 2023-11-14T10:00:00+01:00
categories:
  - software
tags:
  - lists
---

Everyone's doing these [app defaults](https://defaults.rknight.me/) lists lately. Since they're [lists](/tags/lists) and I happen to like lists, I guess I'll chime in, even though I don't think these blog posts add much value for others. Instead, they could be interesting to look back to for myself in a far future? Here goes.

- **Backup system**: [Restic](/post/2023/03/verify-your-backup-strategy/) synced to the NAS with my own system-tray wrapper.
- **Bookmarks and _Read It Later_ systems**: I paste links that interest me into [Alfred](https://www.alfredapp.com/) that has a workflow to Obsidian. To be honest, most interesting stuff is just jotted down on paper. I have almost no "read it later" backlog. 
- **Browser**: Firefox.
- **Calendar and contacts**: Self-hosted [Radicale](https://radicale.org/v3.html) CalDAV/CardDAV.
- **Chat**: Signal with literally four people willing to do so, everything else's still WhatsApp.
- **Cloud File Storage**: lol, good one. 
- **Coding environment**: For light and quick scripting, Sublime Text. Otherwise, any of the dedicated tools from the JetBrains folks.
- **Image editor**: [ImageMagick](https://imagemagick.org/) and occasionally GIMP. 
- **Mail**: Apple Mail for macOS for `brainbaking`---hosted by Mailbox.org after [being fed up with ProtonMail](/post/2023/01/goodbye-protonmail/)---and unfortunately Microsoft Outlook for work. I don't want to mix these, and the latter is an Exchange server. I don't have a mail client on my smartphone and neither should you.
- **Music**: Self-hosted [Navidrome](/post/2022/03/how-to-stream-your-own-music-reprise/) + Substreamer Android app.
- **News**: I try to avoid these but out of boredom regularly fail to do so. 
- **Notes**: Primarily [fountain pen and paper](/tags/journaling/)---this includes todo lists---mixed with digital notes in Obsidian.
- **Password Management**: KeePassXC.
- **Photo Management**: Self-hosted [PhotoPrism](https://www.photoprism.app/), although we have difficulties finding stuff once the photos are poured into this system. I'd like something even simpler. 
- **Podcasts**: I just press play in the browser? Subscribing goes via RSS.
- **Presentations**: Hugo + [RevealJS](https://revealjs.com/).
- **RSS**: [NetNewsWire](https://netnewswire.com/).
- **Shopping Lists**: What's wrong with recycling a piece of paper?
- **Spreadsheets**: For student grading, Google Sheets or Excel if I have to share it with colleagues. 
- **Text Editor**: I'm typing this Markdown post in Sublime Text. 
- **Word Processing**: lol, another good one. For my writing, I use [Markdown + Pandoc + LaTeX](/post/2021/02/writing-academic-papers-in-markdown/).

Conclusion: I have a preference for simple analog and self-hosted tools.