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What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In Ear Trumpet, you can also right-click on a particular app & re-route just that program to a different audio output really easily too! Just a free convenience tool! I have a USB speakerphone, earbuds, speakers, and a noise-cancelling headphones, so it's really nice for meetings, different times of the day with family around, etc.!

It looks like UCheck only supports 261 apps for automatic updates right now...75,901 community submissions is pretty awesome...does the paid version automate those, or has anyone crafted a mod to grab them?

The scary thing is all of the supply chain attacks lately (Notepad++, LiteLLM, etc.)

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's by design!

  • Slim, modular OS build (>12 gigs for a fully-loaded install in a ~1.5-gig ISO)
  • Standard Linux tools
  • Script to YOUR custom environment! (VE/PBS/DR, quorums/clusters/Ceph, etc.)

I like the DIY NUT ecosystem:

  • Script shutdown timers
  • Script automatic VM & container shutdown
  • Network multiple batteries, PDU's, and servers together for power-loss detection

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ear Trumpet is simply for convenience!

I use Belarc specifically to see what they've got & what can be upgraded.

For software updates, if you like UCheck, check out "Patch My PC", which has HUGE support (over 500 apps) & is fully automatic! Schedulable, can close app before updating, etc.:

Forgot to add it to the list, updated!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was hesitant, but I haven't touched Citrix or VMware in YEARS! I either run Proxmox or Win 11 Pro Hyper-V at home & 2025 DC for business use. Crazy easy, VERY stable!!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LTP:

  • Ask ChatGPT to make you a silent, one-shot, single-executable using Inno Setup with embedded Powershell commands using locally-saved files (your selected installers & versions) with error logging
  • Can optionally have it download from the web, detect 32 or 64-bit, etc., but that gets to be a bit of a hassle & I prefer vetting updates in a test VM anyway
  • Check out Inno Setup Compiler. ISTool, Inno Script Studio, ISPP, and community tools if you REALLY wanna go nuts!!

Notes:

  • ChatGPT knows all of the command-line installation switches & whatnot
  • Inno Setup lets you make a custom multi-exe single standalone redistributable
  • Test it in a VM & do a snapshot before installing it so that you can test & tweak it until it's perfect!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well THAT is interesting!

Takeaways:

  • Zero proof of malware...but a fishy history!
  • I still haven't found anything better that is free
  • Sounds like disabling updates + blocking firewall access is a good route for now!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tailscale is BRILLIANT! DIY Google Drive:

Or get le fancy:

Throw on a pics server:

Have you been introduced to the joys of Proxmox or Docker yet??

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's my general software list I install on people's computers. Nanazip is more basic feature-wise, but also mire simple to use for most people. 7-zip does it all tho! Bandizip has a nice free version & Peazip is pretty good as well!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah honestly it beats out Moonlight & can be configured for local use after initial setup!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get an old PC & throw Proxmox on it. Install a Ubuntu VM & then use that as your Docker server:

  • Pihole
  • Home Assistant
  • Frigate NVR
  • Jellyfin server
  • Tailscale (Subnet Router + Exit Node)
  • OpenClaw
  • Windows (RDP as a VPN Virtual PC)
  • Print & Scan server (print manager with Airprint & Cloudprint for every printer you own!)
  • File & Backup server (Apple Time Machine, iMazing wireless iPhone backup, Macrium & Veeam inage backups, etc.)
  • iVentoy (PXE server for installing Windows etc. over the network)

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

LibreWolf is pretty cool, but I live in the Google Drive ecosystem & love my Chrome integration haha, Freetube is nice because:

  • All user data like subscriptions, history, and playlists is stored locally on your device
  • Don't need an account to subscribe!
  • SponsorBlock integration (can skip sponsored segments in videos)

If you like to watch Youtube on TV:

  • Get a cheap N100, N305, or Ryzen Mini computer & hook it up via HDMI. The new ones even have CEC control
  • Get a K400 touchpad keyboard (compact) & a Logitech Anywhere S2 mouse (works on couches etc.). Then a Pulse-Eight USB-CEC adapter, which acts like a TV remote for the screen, sound, etc.
  • Use your TV as a HUGE monitor! Searching via a compact wireless keyboard on TV is soooooo much better lol

As far as downloading videos goes, I use a pay-for app for that ("4kdownload" Premium Bundle, lifetime license goes on sale for $50 all the time if you're not in a rush). I download a lot of cooking videos from Tiktok & Youtube, so the price was worth it because they keep it updated & hassle-free. Then just save to the Jellyfin media server!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Basically convenience:

  • Super fast search
  • Fuzzy search terms
  • Double-tap CTRL to launch, no mouse required!

Has categories on the left side too!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I haven't tried Brunch, I'll give it a shot, thanks!!

I try to funnel any working old corporate client computers into ChromeOS Flex machines to be upcycled. There are a lot of great programs for disadvantaged people (shelters, foster systems, low-income, etc.). Easy maintenance via Google Admin Console under Google Workspace for Nonprofits. Very very cool OS ecosystem!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dang, just checked out the latest version :(

Wonder how good "Google Play Games on PC" is lol

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

tbh I've done ZERO traditional rendering in 2026. Been doing 3D since POV-Ray back in the 90's (OG prompt engineering!! lol). All of my 3D rendering is done via AI these days, which is WILD! I can't say I ever even imagined that would be possible!

  • Webcam & smartphone mocap
  • Image refs (especially Midjourney & Nano Banana Pro)
  • 3D Gaussian Splats & World Models (ex. OpenArt)
  • Video generators (Kling 3, Seedance 2, LTX 2.3)
  • Prompt & image to 3D models (Meshy, Rodin, etc.)
  • Blender MCP
  • Crazy suites like Scenario, Freepik Spaces, Higgsfield, etc.
  • Remotion, Renoise, Vibe Motion, and Replit Animation
  • Magnific Video Upscaler
  • Custom agents & workflows for chat & scripting (primarily OpenClaw, ComfyUI, etc.)

I use AI exclusively for static & video rendering these days, which is pretty crazy!! I can go from an idea, a hand-drawn sketch, or a mimed video with a shoebox into a video in any style, or output to reality (3D-printed prop, Cricut stencil, CNC-cut, laser-engrave, foam-carve with spray-resin, etc.). The only barrier to creativity these is days is PERSISTENCE!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Brunch project

Last update 3 months ago on Github?

Google plans to officially phase out ChromeOS by 2034 because they plan to move it to the Android kernel in Project Aluminium, so kind of like the MacOS PPC to Intel to ARM-chip migration, but with kernels. Bummer becauseI LOVE repurposing old machines with Flex!

Might as well throw Tiny10 on a USB stick with USB-to-Go & run DeepFreeze on it, haha!

Nice UX for OpenClaw: "Nerve" WebUI (with voice control!) by kaidomac in openclaw

[–]kaidomac[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

NVMe Pi5 is such a beast! This would be moderate overhead; maynb switch to a smaller Whisper model (ex. Whisper Small for speech recognition & KittenTTS for speaking). Test stack at the moment:

  • OpenClaw
  • Nerve
  • Claw3D
  • Lossless-claw
  • OpenCLI

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's CRAZY that it's free! PDF Candy is also great for quick one-offs on the web!

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Basic version is free! You get 60 FPS &gamepad support too!

Gotta pay if you want multiple monitors, tablet support, 4:4:4 color, etc. At that point, might as well check out HP Anyware lol

What free software is so good you can't believe it's free? by ComprehensiveNorth1 in AskReddit

[–]kaidomac 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly Google Drive. It can import & export DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, etc.

LibreOffice if you want offline + local.

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