How I Do My Computing
11 hours ago
- Richard Stallman uses a Thinkpad x200 with free initialization program (GNU Boot) and free operating system (Trisquel GNU/Linux), purchased from small businesses that recondition and install free software.
- He previously used the Lemote Yeeloong and briefly an OLPC, both with limitations regarding free software and firmware.
- He recommends only ethical GNU/Linux distros that are entirely free software, and avoids making practical comparisons among them.
- He primarily uses a text console and Emacs for editing, email, and web page maintenance, and uses X11 only when graphical interfaces are necessary.
- He is careful about internet connectivity: avoids nonfree Javascript (using LibreJS), uses Tor, fetches web pages via email, and avoids sites that require identification or nonfree code.
- He does not use social networking sites (except for a Twitter account solely for logging in elsewhere) and rejects Facebook, Twitter impostors, and 4chan posts.
- He advocates for Lisp as the most powerful programming language, prefers Lisp and C, and criticizes C++ for its flaws.
- He refuses to install or tolerate nonfree software on his own machines, but may briefly use nonfree software on others' machines in limited circumstances.
- He opposes DRM, streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, and nonfree communication apps like Skype and Zoom, due to their ethical violations.
- He dislikes the term 'coding' for programming, as it historically referred to low-level implementation separate from design.