Running a business using free software: Difference between revisions

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== Introduction ==
* What my business does
* Some of these tools are for personal use as well, e.g. calendar sync
== Why? ==
* Control over core business tools
* Have seen proprietary business tools disappear suddenly
* Rapid development
* Ability to fix bugs directly in some cases
* Self hosting
* Data protection, security and backups
== Limitations ==
* Only discussing software used in my business, not clients
* Can't control what others use
== Requirements ==
== Requirements ==


All businesses need:
Most businesses need:


* Core operating system - Xubuntu
* Invoicing and credit control
* Invoicing and credit control
* Customer and supplier database (CRM)
* Website - WordPress
* Word processing - LibreOffice
* Spreadsheets - LibreOffice
* Calendar/diary - Nextcloud + DAVx
=== Email ===
* Thunderbird - does most things, renders HTML emails without problems, Teams invites etc.
* (Neo)Mutt
* Evolution might be necessary if you have to work with Outlook calendars
* Dovecot for IMAP
* Postfix or Exim for SMTP
* SpamAssassin to manage junk mail - ideally reject at time of connection
* Used to run my own Postfix / Dovecot / SA setup
* Mythic Beasts now does most of the work for me - Sympl
== Outstanding issues ==
* Still need Microsoft Office to open some documents - usually Word documents that have been perfectly laid out to fit on X pages, or spreadsheets with macros
* Scanner - Linux driver but not open source
* Label printer - Linux driver but not open source
[[Category:Talks]]

Latest revision as of 13:19, 22 May 2023

Introduction

  • What my business does
  • Some of these tools are for personal use as well, e.g. calendar sync

Why?

  • Control over core business tools
  • Have seen proprietary business tools disappear suddenly
  • Rapid development
  • Ability to fix bugs directly in some cases
  • Self hosting
  • Data protection, security and backups

Limitations

  • Only discussing software used in my business, not clients
  • Can't control what others use

Requirements

Most businesses need:

  • Core operating system - Xubuntu
  • Invoicing and credit control
  • Customer and supplier database (CRM)
  • Website - WordPress
  • Word processing - LibreOffice
  • Spreadsheets - LibreOffice
  • Calendar/diary - Nextcloud + DAVx

Email

  • Thunderbird - does most things, renders HTML emails without problems, Teams invites etc.
  • (Neo)Mutt
  • Evolution might be necessary if you have to work with Outlook calendars
  • Dovecot for IMAP
  • Postfix or Exim for SMTP
  • SpamAssassin to manage junk mail - ideally reject at time of connection
  • Used to run my own Postfix / Dovecot / SA setup
  • Mythic Beasts now does most of the work for me - Sympl

Outstanding issues

  • Still need Microsoft Office to open some documents - usually Word documents that have been perfectly laid out to fit on X pages, or spreadsheets with macros
  • Scanner - Linux driver but not open source
  • Label printer - Linux driver but not open source