open source

If there was a way to use dozens of enterprise-grade cloud software tools (that can each cost hundreds of dollars a month) for free (or nearly free), that would be worth exploring, right? Well, let’s explore it! Every couple years I come to a new appreciation for self-hosted software. For the uninitiated, if you have a spare computer sitting around that you’re willing put to work as a server (or if you want to rent a server for like $5/month), there are literally hundreds of programs available for free that you can host on that server, providing really viable alternatives to commercial cloud tools....

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Free/Libre Open Source Software. With rare exception, all the software I run on my computer is Open Source (Brave, Bitwarden, to name a couple highly valuable and accessible favorites). Similarly, when I help friends and loved ones setup a new digital device, I always try to encourage them towards the free/libre and open source version of a given product, instead of the closed source versions they are normally used to....