Uses

Updated: 2025-10-19

Below are the lists of things I use every day.

TOC

• Hardware
• Desktop computer
• Laptop
• Mobile phone
• Software
• General purpose computers
• Android
• DIY
• Electronics
• Leathercraft
• Note-taking

Hardware

Desktop computer

I've been using the single desktop PC since 2013. I've been assembling it from various parts that I bought at affordable prices from local computer stores in 2013-2014:

• Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3
• CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2 GHz
• RAM: Four 4 Gb DDR3 sticks from Kingston. Each stick has a radiator.
• HDD: Two disks per 1Tb each. Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003-1CH162 7200 rpm
• Cooling: Thermaltake cooler on the CPU, 6 additional fans in the PC case for cooling and one HDD fan on the each hard drive. The usual temperature of the system: 33°C, temperature under the heavy load: close to 37°C.
• Videocard: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti. It has only 2 Gb of video memory, but it is enough for Deep Rock Galactic!
• PSU: I used to use the Corsair V550 (550W). But it burned out due to a failure in the local power grid, so I recently installed a new PSU: Zalman ZM800-TXII (800W).
• Case: Zalman Z11 High Performance
  

I use two monitors with this PC. First, the Benq XI2420z 24" 1080p — it is still good enough for my use cases (programming, blogging, web surfing, gaming and video watching).

The second display is handmade from broken Asus F6E laptop (reducing e-waste, baby!):

Just a display from a laptop, some screws and metal corners from the hardware store, metal sheets cut from an old PC case and a Chinese LVDS 30-pin to HDMI converter.

To interact with this computer I use:

• Mechanical keyboard: Red Square Keyrox TKL Classic Pro. Bought it for the nice clicking sound. Looks like there is some kind of Russian Chinese brand of cheap mechanical keyboards. Keycaps and switches are changeable. Two switches were rattling, so I moved them to the less used keys. Nevertheless, the keyboard is of sufficient quality. Before this keyboard, I used Genius KB-09E PS/2 keyboard. It is an extremely reliable keyboard that I used for 15 years and it still works.
• Mouse: Logitech G500s. I use it mostly for gaming sessions in Deep Rock Galactic. I can't say it's reliable enough — over the past 10 years, the cable that comes out of the mouse case has frayed a few times (but I have a soldering iron). Also, the spring, that pushes the weights out of the case, has weakened and stopped working.

Laptop

Before, since 2019, it was just an ordinary Lenovo Thinkpad X220. I bought it from the local reseller, who was bought decommissioned laptops in the Europe and sold them locally to the car mechanics, engineers, students and so on. But when I got the inspiration — it became the heavily modified Thinkpad X2200 with Retina 2K screen, new battery, 2 SSDs and 1 HDD and so on.

Sometimes, during the gaming sessions (Xonotic, Quake II or Doom) I use it with an IBM MU29J ball mouse. It is connected to the laptop via the PS/2⇒USB converter.

And I use the Logitech Trackman Marble Trackball with this laptop while I'm at home. I bought it when I found a symptom of impending RSI on my right hand. So, I use this trackball with my left hand every day. It's a reliable piece of engineering and even the lack of a middle button and scroll button didn't ruin the experience — I just remapped the "Browser Next" and "Prev" buttons to the desired functions in the X server configuration.

Mobile phone

I have been using the Motorola Defy (2021) phone since 2022 year. It was claimed to be an IP68 enabled and rugged smartphone and that seems to be the plain truth.

I have used this phone in a humid environments, dropped it almost three times on the asphalt and a several times on the tile floor. Once I dropped it in a puddle. And you know what? It still works perfectly and the screen didn't even crack.

The one (and the only one) minor injury — the plastic protective frame has a small dent in the corner where I dropped the phone when I got out of the car.

The battery is still working, providing almost 1.5-2 days without the charger.

When I need to type a lot of text (more than two sentences), I use the Logitech K380 Bluetooth keyboard — because the comfort of using a physical keyboard with the power of "touch typing" is incomparable to tapping on the glass screen with the keyboard drawn on it. The ubiquitous use of touch interfaces for human-computer interaction was a mistake.

Software

Most of the time I use open source software, because:

• It is not controlled by the corporations that care more about shareholder profits than producing quality software. As a result, the features and UX/UI of open source software don't constantly change due to A/B testing to find new ways to grab the user's attention, personal data, or money.
• Usually, it provides more functionality and follows the Unix philosophy, which helps me to combine it in necessary ways.
• Because I have enough skills, I can fix bugs or add a new features to such software. If I use the proprietary software, I don't even have that possibility.

By the way, I still use proprietary software in some cases:

• Windows 10 and a Steam — to run Deep Rock Galactic. There is no open source game with the same vibe and nice community.
• Telegram — to stay in touch with friends and family.

General purpose computers

On the desktop PC I use Gentoo. For now, it is the one of the small subset of Linux distributions that provides extremely customizable software and (with USE flags) it is possible to install and use Linux without modern attempts to turn Linux into bloated Windows clone with purged soul of Unix from it (i.e. without systemd, pulseaudio, avahi-daemon, wayland and so on).

I have been using this Linux distribution since 2018 and it seems to be reliable enough. Just update it every 1-2 months and everything is fine. It just works.

On the laptop I use Libreboot instead of a proprietary BIOS and a FreeBSD.

On the both machines I use the same set of software:

• sh
• X server
• stumpwm
  
• LibreWolf for web surfing. Inside the browser I use the next plugins:
• AudioContext Suspender to decrease CPU utilization and battery consumption if badly programmed website opened.
• Decentraleyes — to prevent the browser from making requests to the CDN. Instead, the local cached scripts/CSSes/whatever are used. It prevents various bad actors from gathering information about my behavior through my requests to the CDN.
• Firefox Multi-Account Containers. Allows me to open different sites in different container tabs, so some bad sites don't get too much information from the browser, because cookies and other things are separated between containers.
• I still don't care about cookies — really, those cookie banners drive me crazy!
• Feed Preview — returns RSS button and RSS feed preview to the browser.
• Return YouTube Dislike — I think that constant aversion to receiving any valuable and negative information is the scourge of modern society. How can I understand that content is worth consuming if I only see likes but no dislikes?
• SingleFile — to archive the last days of the Internet (the free and international network that connected different people around the globe). This extension saves the page and all of it's contents (CSS and JS scripts, images) into a single HTML file that can be opened in any browser and doesn't require some tricky daemons or programs to replay the saved file.
• SponsorBlock for YouTube — because modern YouTube has a worse UX for viewing videos. This extension removes (for now) all unnecessary interruptions from videos — intros, sponsor blocks, various ads and other nonsense. It uses a community-driven DB which is populated by the real people with timestamps of such things to skip them.
• StreetPass for Mastodon — retrieves links to Mastodon profiles from websites.
• Substitoot — loads replies to someone's Mastodon post if the server hasn't loaded them itself.
• Tab Stash — lets me to store my 9999+ open tabs, which I will be read later 😁, on the stash.
• Sidebery — nice, feature-rich and colored vertical tabs for Firefox and it's forks.
• uBlock Origin — Ad blocker.
• Unhook — removes various unwanted things in the YouTube interface, such as Shorts, related videos section, trending tab and so on. As a result, any YouTube page becomes visually cleaner and more usable.
• Video Resumer — this extension saves the current position on the opened YouTube video and lets me to start from the same place after browser restart.
• GIMP and RawTherapee for photo editing
• Syncthing for file synchronization
• hledger + sed + awk + sqlite for accounting.

And of course — Emacs! I don't see it as just a text editor. For me, Emacs is a software emulated Lisp machine with a Lisp dialect, designed for text editing.

Because it is a Lisp machine, there are many useful programs for it that I use every day:

• Dired as a file manager.
• Eshell as a shell interpreter.
• EMMS to listen music.
• Mu4e as a mail client. With rss2email script it becomes a RSS client too.
• PDF tools as a PDF viewer.
• Nov and fb2-reader to read e-books.

Almost everywhere — in WM, in Emacs, in browser, etc — I'm using a Solarized Light theme. A lot of time in the past I was using different dark themes because they look kinda cool and "hacker-style". But, I found what light symbols on the dark background leads to the pain in my eyes. After I switched to the light theme, I immediately found what it is extremely good for my eyes. Also I found what common myths about light themes — that they are too bright and it is impossible to use it in the dark — just a myths. When I discovered the brightness control keys on the my display — using computer at the night is no longer a problem.

Almost everywhere I use the DejaVu fonts — both Serif and Sans Serif and and monospaced version for code.

You can see my configuration in the my dotfiles repository.

Android

Besides Android is based on Linux it is not the free in the same sense. The OS out of the box is bloated with unnecessary software whose main purpose is to lure user's attention and money with unwanted popups, notifications and shitty UI full of "dark patterns".

So, I use the custom LineageOS build and chose the user applications carefully. Most of them are open source.

General purpose software:

• Default caller application: Fossify Phone. Default application for contacts: Fossify Contacts. These applications just manage my calls and contacts locally, allow me to make simple backups of call logs and contact lists and don't send my data to Google.
• For SMS: Fossify SMS Messenger. It allows me to make simple backups of my SMS and doesn't distract me with notifications about new and unnecessary features, about "secure" backup of my data to Google and so on. Blacklisting the SMS based on the keywords is the killer feature that allows me to block a lot of marketing messages if it's sender uses the same number for valuable messages.
  
• KISS Launcher as a default launcher. It is minimalistic, search based and also allows to use widgets.
  
• As a main application store I use F-Droid. And Aurora Store — an unofficial client for Google Play, without silly notifications about "let me scan all your applications for safe experience". But for some applications I use an Obtainium to install them without cluttering my system with another stores.
• Keyboard: Unexpected Keyboard — a simple and privacy-conscious keyboard that allows me to type a lot of characters just by swiping the keys towards the corners.
• Requirement for Mastodon client Tusky — nfty needed for un-Googled notifications.
• Requirement for bank app to receive pushes on the device, not a SMSes: microG.
• To use necessary but untrusted applications, that obviously send my data and geolocation to bad actors (for example: all Yandex applications, Zoom client, food delivery and marketplaces applications) — I use Shelter. It allows me to install all these applications into the isolated "Work profile" and freeze them completely and immediately after screen lock.
• For password management I use Password Manager with an OpenKeychain. All pass files are synchronized with the phone using Syncthing
• To clean Android file system from empty folders, duplicate files and to clean cache of some applications I use SD Maid 2/SE.
• For file management I use Fossify File Manager.
• To check the weather online I use QuickWeather.
• I use Aves Libre as my gallery application. It's just better than Google's gallery because it doesn't spam me with popup windows about "secure backup", new "features", "AI" and so on with almost every tap of the screen.
• As seen from the screenshot with KISS Launcher, I'm using the custom icon pack — the Cuscon. It stands out from the other icon packs with distinguishable icons, which heavy uses shapes and colors. Especially they distinguish from any over icons, since they don't use same "rounded cube" shape and a small icon inside it.

For notes I use two apps:

• Orgro to view my OrgMode files, which are synced with the phone via Syncthing.
• Notally for easy note-taking on the go.

Surfing the Web:

• Currently I use IronFox as web browser. There is a fork of discontinued Mull browser.
• But as my "default Web browser" I use the URLCheck. It is a simple and nice application that removes unnecessary parameters inserted for user tracking, passes the redirects and checks the HTTP codes that the server returns. The latter is very useful, as the random IP addresses in my area are currently being randomly blocked.
• I use Tusky as my social networking client (Mastodon).
• For online videos I use Tubular — it just works, gives me access to the YouTube and PeerTube videos, and allows me to have the same experience as I have with the desktop browser (built-in SponsorBlock, YouTube dislikes, etc).

For maps on the go, I was forced to use a local proprietary map application, because support for local public transport routes and locations is almost impossible to add to preferred open source applications at the moment. Anyway, for pedestrian navigation I'm using CoMaps. I used the OsmAnd before, but CoMaps seems more nice and has faster map scrolling. Also it has support of Panoramax images. Unluckily, it hasn't support of public transportation navigation in it, like in OsmAnd.

To edit the map on the go, I use the nice set of the next applications:

• StreetComplete — to quickly improve the map with the game experience.
• Every Door — to fix information about local amenities.
• Vespucci — to add missing ways, correct existing ways and edit specific tags for the points on the go.

Since I'm using the rooted Android phone, I'm using some programs, which could run only with root. There are:

• MMRL — necessary to easily install Magisk modules, described below. Of course, it is possibly to donwload zip files from code repositories and install it by hand.
• AFWall Boot AntiLeak — prevents applications from access to the Internet while AFWall is loading.
• DisplayTweaks — changes some graphics settings to make GUI animations smoother.
• Quick Settings Modded — make Quick Settings tiles less rounded:
• LSPosed framework from mywalkb — it is necessary to use just one application, described below.
• Global Icon Pack — with this application I'm able to setup Cuscon icon pack globally. Not only in the KISS Launcher but everywhere, e.g. in system settings:

DIY

For the most of the work not related to electronics I use the the small workbench "Мастер" with metal tabletop from the company "Промет", installed in my living room. This workbench is modular, so I add a shelf and a sliding drawer to it to store my tools.

On the top there is a 420x594 OLFA mat for cutting leather into pieces.

For various locksmithing work I use:

• Locksmith's vice with an anvil: ТССН-63 from "Дело Техники".
• Dremel 3000 rotary tool with a lot of accessories for milling, polishing and cutting. Of course, I use non-original accessories because they are cheaper and have a good quality as original parts.
• Metal hacksaw.
• A few files from the USSR era and a set of new diamond-coated needle files.
• Metal scissors.
• Set of sandpapers and a polishing paste (ГОИ paste).
• The old clamps.
• Marking tools: the cairn and the metal scraper.

Electronics

The main tool is, of course, a Lukey 852D soldering station. I have been using it for almost 16 years and it still works without any problems.

The only modification I made was to increase the depth of penetration of the heating element into the tip of the soldering iron. This was achieved by properly cutting two metal tubes that hold the tip to the heating element. I've also added a paronite barrier between the metal clamping nut and the handle for easier use of the soldering iron.

The main soldering iron tips that I use:

• Bevel tip — I use it most of the time: to solder/remove details to/from PCB, to solder wires and so on.
• Needle tip — to solder really small details, close to 0.9 mm or smaller.

All tips are lead free due to special coating.

I have been using the Mastech HY3500D as my laboratory power source for almost 10 years.

Over the years I've only had two problems with it:

1. The knobs started to rattle, especially the "voltage file tune" knob.
2. It is necessary to wait almost 5 minutes after turning on the power source while it is warming up. Otherwise the voltage readings will be unstable (during those 5 minutes).

For different measurements I use two devices:

• The timeless classic: the UNI-T UT33C multimeter. I use it endless amount of time and it is still good.
  This multimeter has an important feature — it can measure temperature with the attached thermocouple. I use this a lot to measure the temperature of parts in some designs to check for overheating while system is working.
• To measure capacitance or inductance I use a Sinometer VC6243+. I don't use it very often so I can't say anything about it — it just works.

Of course there are a lot of hand tools I use: tweezers, magnifiers, snapping tools, (Philips) screwdrivers, Torx screwdrivers, scalpel, knife, and so on...

Leathercraft

To mark the leather I use the shilo, the 20 cm metal ruler and the 40 cm metal ruler, the old and heavy USSR-era calibration steel square. And the metal compass (drawing tool).

To cut the leather I use only a trapezoid knife with interchangeable blades:

To make the holes in the leather pieces, I have a set of tools. First, there are a lot of cylindrical punches, which I use with a special mallet with a nylon striker and with a special thick plastic sheet that lies on top of the marble plate. With these tools I can precisely make holes in difficult places.

I also have special punches to make holes for belt buckles, to shape belt ends, to make holes for holster buttons, etc...

Second, I use custom punches that connect to the button press. I bought these from the local locksmith along with a custom plastic plate for the press and the aluminum mat. With these punches I can make a lot of holes in a straight line faster than with my bare hands.

For sewing I use two simple tools:

• My hands ;-)
• Needles from the company "John James" for leathercrafting. They have an incredible quality — I still use the same set of three needles for about 3 years and they are still in perfect condition!

Of course there are: waxed threads, saddlery pony, tailor's scissors, torzbil, letter stamps, slicker, poissons and bits and so on...

Note-taking

First of all, I use the good old paper and pen. When I'm thinking about new project or problem, I usually take notes by hand. This action is very pleasant with an incredible haptic feedback that is impossible to achieve with glass touchscreens or with styluses.

The notebook and the pen don't need electricity or a charged battery to work. And to make your notes indexable and searchable the humanity has invented a lot of techniques till thousands of years.

To take notes, I use notebooks from local stores. I usually prefer notebooks with dense, white and smooth sheets of paper. Also, the papers shouldn't have any printed lines or cells — to draw different diagrams on it smoothly without any inconveniences.

Each scribbled notebook gets a sticky label with the year it started and the year it ended. So on the photo above there are the notebooks from 2008 to 2023.

To write notes I'm using the black Kaweco AL Sport fountain pen since 2014.

Before, as I a student without enough money, I tried to use cheap Parker entry-level fountain pens made of plastic. They were usable, but of course has a lot of disadvantages because of plastic.

So, a few years after that I decided to find cheap enough fountain pen that is:

• Made of metal.
• Don't use a plastic latch for the cap. The metal thread is necessary.
• Have a converter (reusable ink tank) in the accessories.
• Not expensive, like a Parker pen, which meets the above requirements.

Finally, I found the black Kaweco pen. It has been reliable enough over 10 years: there are just in a few spots where the anodizing has come off the aluminum after I dropped the pen on the floor many times. The anodizing also wore off on the threads and started to wear off where my fingers rested.

The pen is easy to maintain: I just wash the nib part under water every six months. And every 10 years or so, I grease the threads when it starts to squeak when I unscrew it.

I only use Parker black ink to fill the ink tank. They have proven itself to be quite black and quick drying.

To take notes on the general purpose computers I use the OrgMode in Emacs. It is an incredible tool with enough plugins (for Emacs of course) that allows me to stay in touch with different timed events.

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List of other "uses" pages.