In the past, most software I used was paid and proprietary and would have some sort of limitation that I would try to get around by any means possible. Sometimes that would be resetting the clock on my computer, disabling the internet, and other times downloading a patch.
But in the past few years I’ve stopped using those things and have focused only on free and open source software (FOSS) to fulfill my needs. I hardly have to worry about privacy problems or trying to lock down a program that calls home. I might be missing out on some things that commercial software delivers, but I’m hardly aware of what they are anymore. It seems like the trend is for commercial software providers to migrate toward online or service models that have the company doing all the computing. I’m opposed to that, since they can take away your service at any time.
What do you do?
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It’s a mix of both. On my windows gaming rig I have ms office, photoshop sketchup and fl studio pirated. I haven’t found a good foss alternative for photoshop, sketchup or flstudio (using gimp is worse than being an actuall gimp ). On my Linux laptop I’ve been using more and more foss. I’m getting use to Libre office but it doesn’t do everything I need. Switched chrome for Firefox, vscodium as a code editor, waydroid for Android apps
Both
The problem is, Bitwig is not Free Software, and on top of it it costs quite a lot of money, and I left my soundcard in Sweden when I moved to Korea ^^.
I think I’ll check out Ardour more thorowly. Now with Pipewire it should wor more hasslefree compared to when I had to switch between Jack and Pulse Audio manually all the time.
Ardour is close but not quite there yet IMO. Once a year or so I give it a try again but when Reaper works so well on Linux its hard to justify the switch.
If kdenlive was even in the same ballpark of usability as Premiere maybe, but so far it’s not even in the same country.
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You should try Da Vinci Resolve
It was early 2002 when I decided I had enough with proprietary software. Without much thought on how successful my transition would be, I just downloaded a popular distro at the time and tried to make it my new home. I’m glad I did that.
It has as smooth a ride as climbing the Himalayas, but that gave me a much necessary DIY attitude to tinker and find solutions for which I’m deeply grateful for.
So if I see someone feeling inclined to jump ship and go all FLOSS, I not only encourage them, but give them the necessary push.
By the way, I’m not a programmer. I’m not even STEM trained. I’ve made my career in the humanities.
A little after you, but similar. Over a decade of Linux as my primary OS for personal use. The effort of piracy or the cost of keeping up to date commercial software was just pointless. For a good chunk of uses, the FOSS alternative is good enough.
I get it for people with certain professional work-flows, there is usually commercial software that is pretty much expected. Unfortunately, most commercial software in professional use is already getting pretty good at extracting maximum profit from you. If it’s necessary, the more they can make you pay.
I only use FLOSS software. It’s just a better thing being able to see the source code.
And you can help if your a developer and improve it.
Yep!
One thing I do for Games is buying used ones. I still have a PS4 and I am not playing much, so there’s a ton of 2nd hand older AAA Games I haven’t played yet, that are sold for a few bucks.
FOSS app normally are better than pirated software (at least by my view). I only pirate media content and games.
Steam games or console games?
Most of the time FOSS, but things like After Effects that already has a huge community or plugins or things that make it super easy to use, then I just pirate it.
Yes, I know there are alternatives, but most of the time the curve to learn how to achieve the same thing is much more steep or it lacks the free plugins/presets that make it simple for a normal home user that might use it every now and then to create a shitpost or something.
i have slowly bought games i started playing 20+ years ago on steam for a few dollars each on sale. i largely use FOSS i still pirate windows i don’t play AAA games the new games i play are largely free/crossplay/splitscreen
Mostly FOSS nowadays. Ever since I got a little bit into cyber security I just stopped trusting a lot of software, so I just migrated everything to their respective open source alternatives.
Overtime I stopped being so paranoid, but I still find the FOSS alternatives better anyway. I mostly pirate tv shows/ anime/ movies and very rarely some games, since I mostly play full f2p gachas now a days (I know, ironic considering my previous statement about trusting software, but oh well…)
usually use FOSS, it has been long since I pirated software
Paid Software Experience:
FOSS Experience:
FOSS all the way. I don’t want to be dependent on proprietary software as much as possible.
In my younger years I just pirated the hell out of software. From Photoshop to Sony Vegas. Nowadays i use Foss because of my Linux use, but even for my Boyfriend PC’s I mostly leet him choose between Pirated Programms and FOSS software and he mostly just needs an easy software. FOSS isn’t as feature full as paid software but mostly for the normal stuff you do you can just use FOSS.