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Software I recommend

Here are a few common tasks for most students and academics, along with the programs I recommend for them. All are free (as in speech) unless stated otherwise. Not all of these are things I use daily, and some aren't even my favorite in their categories, but they are pieces of software that I always recommend highly.

Calculator/CAS: Sagemath
• Built on top of Python
• Good for quick calculations and detailed computations
• Easy symbolic computation
• Has convenient representations of most common algebraic structures

Text editing: Vim
• Modal text editor
• Highly customizable
• Dedicated online community
• Wildly efficient (once you get used to it)

Reading PDFs: Zathura
• Lightweight
• Vim-like commands/navigation
• Distraction-free experience

Annotating PDFs (drawing): Xournal++
• Very easy to use
• Provides basic tools to draw, overlay text, or create shapes on a new or existing PDF
• Works great in lecture environments

This page was last updated at 15:19 on 09/23/2025.