Robert Spahr - The Way I Work

The Way I Work

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Applications and Software Tools:

Gentoo Linux
I use Gentoo Linux which is a source based GNU/Linux distribution.

Installation Notes — Gentoo Linux
Install Gentoo Linux on a Framework Laptop (DIY Edition) 12th Gen

Digital Tools
Free and open-source software (FOSS) is important to me, and I use it to create my auto-generated collage I call Cruft. Some of the most important applications I use that respect user freedoms are Vim and Geany text editors. I keep most of my files as plain text, and I use these editors to write code. For email I use Mozilla Thunderbird, it's robust and I use GPG for secure email communications and Cryptsetup to encrypt my hard drives for information security. Firefox is my web browser, and for added privacy I use the addons uBlockOrigins, Privacy Badger, and HTTPS Everywhere. To edit images I use the GIMP, and for automated command-line editing I use Imagemagick. My office suite is Libreoffice for when I need to use spreadsheets for grading, or presentations and word processing for lectures. Kdenlive is used to edit video. Newsboat keeps my RSS feeds up-to-date.

Analog Tools
I use traditional drawing and painting materials such as charcoal, acrylic and wax. To stay organized and to capture ideas I rely on a simple paper notebook that I use as a journal, sketchbook, organizer and todo list. I currently am using the Plotter Notebook Mini 6.

Studio Spaces:
I code and produce software based art using standing desks and external monitors which I connect to my Framework Laptop (DIY Edition) 12th Gen, and Thinkpad X13AMD Gen 1. My home office has external hard drives for automated backups, as well as the servers that auto-generate my Cruft artwork. I keep a cast iron teapot nearby so that I can always brew my favorite tea called Black Dragon Pearl. I also produce large scale multi-media work using traditional materials such as charcoal, wax, acrylic and ink.