When I log into a new server, one of the first things I do is install a minimal Emacs package1. Of course assuming nobody minds if the server is not strictly mine, I’m not a monster. Emacs serves me as a de facto shell when setting up whatever there is to set up. By “shell” I mean a broader meaning of this word than just a command prompt: it’s the central program I use to interact with the system.
Emacs as a Shell
One year with Notmuch
Email… One of the last bastions of non-proprietary communication with the freedom to choose both service providers and clients alike. Some call it archaic but none can avoid using it to some degree. For years I struggled to find an email client I actually liked. I tried all the usual suspects: Mozilla Thunderbird, mutt, alpine, and others. Even mu4e didn't scratch that itch. I've spent the last few years on Thunderbird as I made a point that even if everything else is failing, email must work, so I tried to avoid any unnecessary hackery.