★ EVERYDAY SOFTWARE ★

This is a page for everyday software we find neat and useful. Operating systems, browsers, or system apps. Little things that make life just a bit easier, or good alternatives to other software. We're always looking for cool, new things, so message us on one of the social platforms on the sidebar if you have any recommendations!

This page primarily covers Windows and Linux use-cases. For Apple-specific recommendations, i.e. for macOS and iOS apps, check the Apple-Specific page.

OPERATING SYSTEMS

We don't daily-drive Linux due to our niche software needs, but we keep our finger on the pulse of Linux news frequently. We think many people can still benefit by switching to it, especially as Microsoft continues to make their desktop operating systems worse. These are our go-to distros.

Bazzite Linux: Our go-to Linux distribution. Brings a Steam OS-like user experience to the desktop, allowing for ease of use, quick setup, and much less opportunity for things to go devastatingly wrong.

Linux Mint: An incredibly performant and intuitive Linux distro. Perfect for those switching from Windows, with an easy-to-understand interface and vast software support. Also a great distro for those who don't want to tinker much.

Nobara Linux: A version of Fedora created and maintained by GloriousEggroll, developer of the ProtonGE project. Has a focus on gaming and performance, with a laundry list of custom tweaks made to the OS and software out of the box. Fairly beginner-friendly, though with a bit more tinkering than Mint.

Pop!_OS: Probably the best option for those with an NVIDIA GPU. Designed by System76 for use with their own machines, Pop is a version of Ubuntu that's just a little bit more opinionated. We've had issues with it, but it still seems to be a strong option.

Arch Linux: Far from beginner-friendly, but it's a great way to start learning the more complicated parts of Linux if you want a usable desktop and don't mind getting your hands a bit dirty.

Asahi Linux: Linux built specifically for Macs with Apple Silicon. Constant work being done to maximize the potential of ASi, even on a non-macOS platform.

BROWSERS

Firefox: The tried-and-true Chrome alternative with a reputation for privacy and security. It's very stable, and fairly secure and private, as well as being fully open-source. It also has a wide range of extensions to add functionality to the browser itself, and can be found on pretty much every platform.

Vivaldi: A well-rounded browser with many, many power user features. Includes a very functional built-in ad and tracker blocker. Although the version of the Chromium engine it uses is open-source, and it seems to be fairly private, Vivaldi itself is closed-source, so you'll have to decide for yourself if Vivaldi is worth trusting.

Ungoogled Chromium: A version of Chromium (not Chrome) with any reliance on Google servicecs removed, as well as being hardened for privacy and security. Features an identical look-and-feel to Chrome or Chromium, and is a good option for those who want privacy without learning a new browser.

macOS users: Stick to Safari, or Firefox if you must. Chromium browsers are generally very power-hungry and less efficient.

BROWSER EXTENSIONS

uBlock Origin: A must-have blocker for pretty much any browser. Open-source, incredibly thorough, and great for both speed and privacy.

Control Panel for Twitter: An open-source extension that makes Twitter usable, by hiding many elements, disabling the For You feed, makes it easier to identify paid Blue subscribers, and is very customizable.

TamperMonkey: An easy-to-use user-script manager, which allows for quick and easy mods for individual websites.

Indie Wiki Buddy: An extension that automatically replaces Fandom/Wikia links with links to their indie wiki counterparts. If an indie wiki isn't available, it also allows for automatic redirection to BreezeWiki for a streamlined, ad-free experience.

Image Search Options: Adds a new option to the right-click menu that lets you search for that image on SauceNAO, Google, IQDB, WhatAnime, and more.

FastForward: An extension to automatically skip 'gatekeeping' sites like ad.fly and ouo.io, while also making regular link shorteners more private and secure.

SYSTEM UTILITIES

LenovoLegionToolkit: A replacement for Lenovo Vantage/Legion Zone for Windows. Contains most, if not all features of Vantage, in an application that collects much less data and is much less intrusive, while using less overhead.

Process Lasso: A tool that we find indispensible on 12th gen or newer Intel CPUs with the P- and E-core setup. Allows you to pin apps to specific cores, or keep them off of E/P cores entirely.

WizTree: An alternative to WinDirStat with a significant speed advantage.