# Favorite apps and services



## Goals

- Privacy conscious (  [end-to-end encrypted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/End-to-end_encryption) )
- Decentralized, **no reliance** on cloud providers like google, microsoft, apple, spotify, netflix, etc. 
- Self-hosted and self-reliant, simple files preferred.
- Make sure no sites / services are US based.



## Media

- Download all music / movies locally, using torrents behind a vpn.
  - Use [AirVPN](https://airvpn.org/), [Mullvad](https://mullvad.net/), [NordVPN](https://nordvpn.com/), [ProtonVPN](https://protonvpn.com/) 
  - Use [qbittorrent](https://www.qbittorrent.org/) or [transmission](https://transmissionbt.com/) for a torrent client.
- Use [MPV](https://mpv.io/) or [VLC](https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html), open source media players to play media.
- Use [plex](https://www.plex.tv/) for streaming to other devices, point it to your torrent downloads folder. 



## Documents

- Write all documents and notes in markdown.
  - Use [typora](https://typora.io/), [marktext](https://marktext.github.io/website/), or [vscode](https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode) as markdown and code editors.
- Spreadsheets in [libreoffice](https://www.libreoffice.org/).
- Install [syncthing](https://syncthing.net/), and put all your documents in a synced folder. 

## Tasks

- Use a [todo.txt](http://todotxt.org/) file for a personal task list, synced with syncthing.
  - [qtodotxt](http://qtodotxt.org/) as a desktop client, [simpletask cloudless](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nl.mpcjanssen.simpletask&hl=en_US) for android.
- For shared task lists, use [etherpad](http://etherpad.org/).



## Collaboration

- Self-host an [etherpad](http://etherpad.org/) instance, and share the document.



## Passwords

- Use [keepassxc](https://keepassxc.org/).
  - Install the firefox keepassxc plugin.
  - Use a long master pass phrase, with at least 10 words. 
- Sync your password file everywhere you need using syncthing.



## Chat

- Use [Signal](https://www.signal.org/) or Matrix / [Riot](https://about.riot.im/).
- Use [Thunderbird](https://www.thunderbird.net/en-US/) for email, e2ee with pgp if possible.



## Social Media

- [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/), [GNU Social](https://gnu.io/social/). 



## Browsing

- Use Firefox or TOR browser, with the addons:
  - [uBlock Origin](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/ublock-origin/)
  - [HTTPS Everywhere](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/https-everywhere)
  - [Privacy Badger](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/privacy-badger17)
  - [uMatrix](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/umatrix)
  - [Decentraleyes](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/decentraleyes/) - Local CDN emulation, to avoid large CDNs.
  - [Facebook Container](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/facebook-container) - As suggested, this keeps all Facebook stuff in it's own Firefox container.
  - [Google Container](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/google-container/) - The above, but for Google.
- [Startpage](https://www.startpage.com/) or [Searx](https://searx.me/) as a search engine



## Operating system

- Use Linux, preferably Arch Linux or a variant.