GoKawiilDecoded.legal publishes 2026 update on running UK law firm with Free software
Decoded.legal, a small English law firm specialising in internet, telecoms and tech law, has published its latest update on using Free and open-source software throughout its operations, following similar posts in 2022 and 2024. The firm's founder details continued use of Debian with GNOME on a ThinkPad X1 Yoga, alongside tools like Thunderbird, mutt, LibreOffice, pandoc, typst, vim and reveal.js for email, document production and presentations.
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The update suggests that running a professional services firm entirely on open-source tooling remains viable years into the experiment, which could serve as a reference point for other small firms weighing vendor lock-in against flexibility. The mention of hardware issues with the laptop's Thunderbolt ports, and friction with calendar invites in Thunderbird, indicates that even committed Free software users still encounter practical compatibility hurdles that may influence future purchasing decisions.
- Decoded.legal has used Free software client- and server-side for about five years, with periodic public updates.
- Current client-side setup includes Debian/GNOME, Thunderbird/mutt for email, LibreOffice/pandoc/typst for documents, and reveal.js for presentations.
- The firm is facing a possible laptop replacement due to Thunderbolt/USB-C hardware issues and has not yet resolved a Thunderbird calendar syncing problem.
Lenovo ThinkPad Active Pen 2 — Since the article's author uses a ThinkPad X1 Yoga to mark up legal documents by hand, a compatible active pen is the natural companion for that workflow. The Lenovo ThinkPad Active Pen 2 offers pressure-sensitive writing directly on the fold-back screen, making annotation and note-taking on Yoga-style convertibles smooth and natural.
See Lenovo ThinkPad Active Pen 2 on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: decoded.legal, 2026-11-07
Published there as: “Running a law firm on Free software”
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