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? == | == Why? == | ||
* Control over core business tools | * Control over core business tools | ||
* Have seen proprietary business tools disappear suddenly | |||
* Rapid development | * Rapid development | ||
* Ability to fix bugs directly in some cases | * Ability to fix bugs directly in some cases | ||
* Self hosting | * 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 == | ||
| Line 10: | Line 22: | ||
Most businesses need: | Most businesses need: | ||
* Core operating system - | * Core operating system - Xubuntu | ||
* Invoicing and credit control | * Invoicing and credit control | ||
* Customer and supplier database (CRM) | * Customer and supplier database (CRM) | ||
* Website - WordPress | * Website - WordPress | ||
* Word processing - LibreOffice | * Word processing - LibreOffice | ||
* Spreadsheets - LibreOffice | * Spreadsheets - LibreOffice | ||
* Calendar/diary - | * 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 == | == Outstanding issues == | ||
* Still need Microsoft Office to open some documents | * 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 | * Scanner - Linux driver but not open source | ||
* Label printer | * 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
- 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