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+++
title = 'Tools I Use'
date = '2026-01-02T15:24:53-03:30'
tags = []
draft = true
+++
Here is a list of some of the tools I use day-to-day.
# Software
- [Gentoo Linux](https://www.gentoo.org/) ---
One of the most solid barebones Linux distros I know of.
I use it on my desktop and laptop computers.
- [OpenBSD](https://www.openbsd.org/) ---
Secure server operating system.
I use it to serve this website.
Unlike a GNU/Linux distro, OpenBSD is a single homogeneous system.
Everything makes sense and the documentation is really good.
Reminds me of [Plan 9](https://plan9.io/plan9/) in that respect.
- [Acme](http://acme.cat-v.org/) ---
Originally developed for Plan 9, Acme is [Rob Pike's](https://commandcenter.blogspot.com/) user interface for programmers.
It's what we now call an IDE.
I'm writing this article in Acme right now.
Every piece of text in Acme can be a executed or piped into/out-of a script.
Very powerful.
- [Dwm](https://dwm.suckless.org/) ---
Nice tiling window manager for X11.
Goes well with other Suckless accoutrements.
- [Syncthing](https://syncthing.net/) ---
Syncthing is a sort of distributed filesystem.
I use it to synchronize files between my laptop, desktop, and phone.
# Hardware
- [Thinkpad T420s](https://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/Category:T420s) ---
I've had this laptop for a few years now; no complaints.
I replaced the hard drive with an SSD and threw some extra DDR3 in there.
The 10+ year old 4-thread Sandy Bridge i5 is actually fine.
I'm waiting for someone to make a [serious multithreaded](https://netlib.org/utk/papers/advanced-computers/tera.html) RISC-V CPU, but unfortunately everyone seems to be obsessed with high clock speeds and out-of-order-execution chips that use as much die space and power as possible.
That [Esperanto ET-SoC-1](https://youtu.be/LmUu-lN7D0k) looked promising, but apparently they went out of business or something?
Anyway, the T420s has a sturdy magnesium frame, a good keyboard, and a three-button touchpad which is essential for Acme and CAD programs---I don't know how people live without one.
- iPod mini 1G ---
Hard to find a phone with a headphone jack these days.
The mini has one, as well as physical buttons and a touch rotary encoder---much nicer than using a touchscreen imo.
I want to get a full size iPod 1G with the physical scroll wheel at some point.
I replaced the battery with a new one and replaced the tiny (both physically and in terms of storage space) hard drive with a 128GB SD card.
Running [RockBox](https://www.rockbox.org/).
Works mint.
- Casio F-91W ---
Cheap wristwatch that keeps time---what can I say?
If it's good enough for [al-Qaeda](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casio_F-91W#Usage_in_terrorism) then it's good enough for me.
Supposedly this is the most-sold watch in the world.
Casio has been making it since 1989.
- [USBtin](https://www.fischl.de/usbtin/) ---
Simple USB-to-CAN interface by Thomas Fischl.
Works with [SocketCAN](https://docs.kernel.org/networking/can.html).
Used to test and debug systems that incorporate a CAN bus, like [this](http://git.samanthony.xyz/can-gauge-interface.git/).
- [Espotek Labrador](https://espotek.com/labrador/) ---
Combined oscilloscope, signal generator, power supply, logic analyzer, and multimeter.
Obviously a tiny $30 board is not as good as real lab equipment, but it's small and cheap and good enough for now.
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