Originally published on eve.gd on 6 February 2012, last updated 6 September 2026.
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Feeling confident of my current level of progress, I think it's worth pointing out that the entirety of my doctoral thesis work has been done using free, open source software. I wanted to write a quick overview of my system, explain where it falls down and give an honest appraisal of how it went.
Operating system: Ubuntu GNU/Linux
Word processor: LibreOffice [previously OpenOffice] Writer
Spreadsheet: LibreOffice [previously OpenOffice] Calc
Bibliographic manager: Zotero
Email client: Mozilla Thunderbird
Web Browser: Mozilla Firefox
Backup solution: Unison
Ubuntu GNU/Linux
LibreOffice [previously OpenOffice] Writer
Zotero
Mozilla Thunderbird
Mozilla Firefox
Unison
This worked for me for the whole of my thesis work. I have to confess that I have started my (legally licensed) copy of Microsoft Word inside a Windows VM when I needed to submit a file (for a job application) in MS Word format and I wanted to be 100% sure that LibreOffice had converted it successfully. Most of the time, though, the convert to PDF option in LibreOffice is more than enough to ensure cross-platform format.
This could also be discipline specific. I don't know, for instance, whether specific lab software is available in free, open source versions. I somewhat doubt it.
Furthermore, it has not been a smooth ride. I class myself as very technically able and I have had occasions where an upgrade has totally broken my install. That said, I enjoy the challenge of knowing that I am wholly responsible for my computing and take pride in the setup and operation of systems over which I have full control. Has anybody else worked along these lines?
Featured image by okubax under a CC-BY license.
This reference list has been generated, in many cases, through an automated process and may therefore contain errors or incomplete metadata. It is provided purely as assistance for finding the items mentioned within this post.
1. Firefox: The fast, private browser that keeps you safe <http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/>
2. LibreOffice <http://www.libreoffice.org>
3. okubax, okubax, Flickr <http://www.flickr.com/photos/okubax/>
4. Thunderbird — Free Your Inbox. <http://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/>
5. Ubuntu, Ubuntu <http://www.ubuntu.com>
6. ‘Unison File Synchronizer’ <http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/>
7. Zotero <http://www.zotero.org>
http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/
http://www.libreoffice.org
http://www.flickr.com/photos/okubax/
http://www.mozilla.org/en-GB/thunderbird/
http://www.ubuntu.com
http://www.cis.upenn.edu/~bcpierce/unison/
http://www.zotero.org