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List of open source applications for macOS

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Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#41
post #2

I have a personal list of macOS apps I use that is similar & goes in detail in how I use the apps. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-os Karabiner specifically is life changing software. At this point ALL keys on my keyboard are custom modifier keys. It's wild. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/dotfiles/blob/master/karab...

What do you do if you lose your data and have to start over? As far as I know, there is no way to automate the settings of all of these macOS apps that don't have config files that can be backed up like VSCode. Do you use Time Machine?

Check out mackup https://github.com/lra/mackup

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#42
post #2

I have a personal list of macOS apps I use that is similar & goes in detail in how I use the apps. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-os Karabiner specifically is life changing software. At this point ALL keys on my keyboard are custom modifier keys. It's wild. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/dotfiles/blob/master/karab...

> All the apps are in one desktop because there is delay in switching between macOS multiple desktops.

Huh, this is a weird one for me.

I believe there is a Terminal command to shorten the animation time which I've used, but other than that it would take more time for me to cycle through so many windows to find the one I want, than to just lay out task specific desktops and switch between them with Ctrl+Left/Right.

Not only that but I already am at a limit where I have so many windows in one of those (several Firefox windows, each with many tabs of stuff to read) where all of the windows become sluggish unless I move the one I'm trying to use to a less crowded desktop.

Did you do something to avoid this slowdown? How do you efficiently move between all those applications in a single desktop?

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#43
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are several perks to paid software that is typically missing from just free software: * Guaranteed updates/bug fixes * Better support * More polished product There are free alternatives to basically everything, but people still pay for stuff.

Also documentation, when it exists (not all apps have or need it) tend to actually be useful instead of a half-assed, incomplete wiki. (though some paid software in the recent years also have half-assed, incomplete wikis for documentation... my guess is that the proliferation of open source software made a lot of newer developers think that this is how software is supposed to be documented)

Definitely. As someone that helps write wiki content for a open source project it's quite a bit of work, for little-to-no recognition, so I can understand why that happens. Plus you don't know if anyone even ends up reading it.

I still do it because of passion for the project, but it would certainly be easier to be paid for it!

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#44
post #4

Every time I come across a paid 30 dollar version of software being sold for macos, I can find a free open source alternative that often works better pretty quickly.

freeware and people like you have killed indie development. Great software should be paid for. Unless or cures cancer or solves humanity’s issues, it should not he made available for free. Otherwise the author of a paid version is forced into office jobs because some idiot makes a free clone just to have something on their cv.

> Great software should be paid for.

Why?

Great software - Linux - is not paid, and it is taking over the hosting world, and the IOT world.

GNU is great software. nano / pico is great software. python is great software. .NET is great software. it is all open source.

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#45
post #2

I have a personal list of macOS apps I use that is similar & goes in detail in how I use the apps. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-os Karabiner specifically is life changing software. At this point ALL keys on my keyboard are custom modifier keys. It's wild. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/dotfiles/blob/master/karab...

Another shout-out for Karabiner. It's amazing.

I was using Linux primarily, but recently switched fully to MacOS. With an IBM Model-M keyboard (old-school, missing the Apple/Window keys), I wouldn't be able to live without Karabiner.

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#46
post #4

Every time I come across a paid 30 dollar version of software being sold for macos, I can find a free open source alternative that often works better pretty quickly.

part of the reason for this is it costs money to distribute apps for apple devices. $100 a year and xcode (ie mac hardware) at a minimum.

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried paying for the open source software?

Why would I pay for something that's mostly buggy, poorly supported and half finished.

Open source is better for libraries than applications. I’m happy to pay for software written with open source libraries that works well so I can support developers like myself.

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#48
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is a cop out. It is not "abstract concept devalues", YOU are the one that chooses not to pay.

When something is given out for free, why are you surprised when people take it for free?

Explicitly not the reason tonyedgecomb gave and not the topic of this subthread.

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#49
post #2

I have a personal list of macOS apps I use that is similar & goes in detail in how I use the apps. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/my-mac-os Karabiner specifically is life changing software. At this point ALL keys on my keyboard are custom modifier keys. It's wild. https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/dotfiles/blob/master/karab...

> All the apps are in one desktop because there is delay in switching between macOS multiple desktops. Huh, this is a weird one for me. I believe there is a Terminal command to shorten the animation time which I've used, but other than that it would take more time for me to cycle through so many windows to find the one I want, than to just lay out task specific desktops and switch between them with Ctrl+Left/Right. N…

I avoid this slowdown by mapping every single app I use to a two key binding.

https://github.com/nikitavoloboev/dotfiles/blob/master/karab...

i.e. w+l opens VS Code. w+k opens Safari and so on. It's instant, no lag at all.

I also bind four finger swipes to open top apps with BetterTouchTool.

i.e. four finger swipe up opens Safari, swipe right = VS Code, swipe left = iTerm.

Re: List of open source applications for macOS

#50
post #4

Every time I come across a paid 30 dollar version of software being sold for macos, I can find a free open source alternative that often works better pretty quickly.

freeware and people like you have killed indie development. Great software should be paid for. Unless or cures cancer or solves humanity’s issues, it should not he made available for free. Otherwise the author of a paid version is forced into office jobs because some idiot makes a free clone just to have something on their cv.

Great software should be paid AND respect your freedom:

https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/selling.en.html

Conflating freeware and free software is a really annoying flaw of the English language.

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