Open Source

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Ultrawide monitor displaying nine open windows including Everything, File Explorer, PowerToys Settings, and 4 Sysinternals tools.
I always install these 3 free, open-source apps on every Windows PC

Microsoft could make Windows so much better just by including these FOSS apps by default.

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LineageOS proves you can de-Google your Android phone without ruining your life

You don't need Google to use Android... mostly.

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Windows 11 logo centered on a blue background, surrounded by icons from PowerToys, Syncthing, Everything Search, KDE Connect, and MSI Afterburner.
These 5 open-source apps are Windows-only, and Linux users are missing out

You don't have to be a Linux user to benefit from open-source apps.

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darktable running on macOS.
This open-source Lightroom alternative processes RAW files locally and never asks for a subscription

Why pay when you can get all of this power for free?

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A man and woman smiling in Darktable.
I canceled Lightroom and tried Darktable—these 4 features won me over

After canceling Lightroom, I found Darktable's approach changes everything.

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A Raspberry Pi laying on the keyboard of a laptop with the Pi-hole dashboard open.
I ditched my router's network log for a $20 Raspberry Pi—and caught my smart TV phoning home constantly

This $20 networking tool revealed things my router wouldn't tell me

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An image of 3 monitors, one with a GitHub repo, the other a GitLab repo, and the third monitor has an editor open with JavaScript open.
GitHub is no longer the best place to host your code

Developers have more reasons than ever to move beyond GitHub, from AI concerns to easier self-hosting and stronger alternatives.

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The Ollama website open on a laptop.
The 5 coolest open-source projects I've discovered in 2026

Big AI breakthroughs aren't the only interesting things happening.

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How-To Geek logo in SketchForge.
This open-source Tinkercad alternative is my new favorite way to design 3D prints in a browser

Rapid model design in a browser, no login required.

The PNY Duo Link V3 flash drive plugged into a MacBook Pro sitting on a wooden table with the USB-A side sticking out slightly.
Stop using Rufus to make bootable USBs—this free, open-source alternative makes them far more useful

Your USB drive should be able to store and boot as many operating systems as its storage capacity allows.

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A laptop screen showing various Microsoft 365 apps.
Microsoft stopped fighting Linux—now it's building it

Not bad for the company that once called Linux "cancer."

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An Apple iPod and a Sony NetMD MiniDisc player.
5 weird devices that can run Linux (even though they shouldn't)
DIY

DIYers were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.

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MarkText, RustDesk, and Ghostty open on a Windows 11 system with an iPad doing remote desktop.
3 free, open-source apps to replace your defaults this weekend (July 10-12)

It's time to replace the apps you're only using out of habit with better free and open-source alternatives.

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The Tdarr interface in the Chrome web browser showing over 7TB of space savings.
Stop buying hard drives for Plex: How I reclaimed 7TB for free

Your Plex library is bloated—this automated tool saved me 7TB.

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Tux, the Linux mascot, wearing sunglasses and peeking from behind a large terminal window on a bright blue background.-1
7 Bash variables I use in almost every script

Elevate your scripting game with these must-know Bash variables.

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A closeup shot of the Steam Controller.
I tried five Steam Controller projects—the self-charging one is hilariously ambitious

Valve made the new Steam Controller open-source, and the results are completely unhinged

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Samsung's One UI 7 home screen on the cover display of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Android is open source, but your phone isn't—here's why Google locked it down

Android is open in theory, but very closed in practice.

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A closeup of a terminal that displays information for an Arch Linux system.-1
Linux's biggest security breaches prove it's not immune to malware

Linux has had its share of malware. Here are some of the scariest incidents.

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A close up of Pixel 10 running Super Productivity showing the today's task view.
This free, open-source app is my task manager, cheerleader, Kanban board, and calendar

Most task managers just let you capture and store your tasks. This one also helps you get them done.

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The NixOS logo on a laptop screen.
This Linux distro treats your PC like source code—and it almost works

A recipe for an operating system.

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