TL;DR
Neil Brown’s November 6 account updates how decoded.legal, a small English law firm, uses Free software across its daily work and self-hosted services. He reports switching from Nextcloud to Syncthing and Radicale, while noting unresolved issues with his laptop ports and Thunderbird calendar invitations.
Neil Brown has published a 2026 account of the Free software he uses to run decoded.legal, his small English law firm focused on internet, telecoms and technology law. The update describes a change to the firm’s file-sync setup, continued reliance on self-hosted services and some unresolved software and hardware problems, offering a practical snapshot rather than a claim that the setup suits every law practice.
On the client side, Brown says he continues to use Debian with GNOME on a ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6. He uses LibreOffice Writer when exchanging Word documents with other lawyers, and writes in Markdown with Vim before converting some documents using Pandoc and Typst. For presentations, he uses reveal.js, which lets him create slide decks from Markdown with a template and a script.
His other desktop tools include Thunderbird and mutt for email; Evince and Xournal++ for reading and marking up PDFs; and Espanso for text expansion. He uses LUKS for disk encryption and Cryptomator to encrypt files before syncing them with Syncthing. Brown says he keeps professional-development records and other notes in Vimwiki, and uses Bitwarden with a Vaultwarden server and YubiKeys for more sensitive credentials.
Most of the services he describes are self-hosted, Brown says, with Signal as the exception. The server list includes Postfix and Dovecot for email, Syncthing for file synchronization, Radicale for calendar and contacts, InvoicePlane for producing PDF invoices, Kimai for time tracking, EspoCRM for matter management, WireGuard for VPN access, Greenbone/OpenVAS for vulnerability scanning and Uptime Kuma for monitoring.
How the Software Supports Firm Operations
The account shows how one small firm assembles everyday legal-office functions from separate Free software projects instead of relying on a single hosted business suite. That includes document creation, billing, time records, client-matter tracking, communication and security tools. Brown’s experience is relevant to other small practices evaluating software costs, control over data and the work involved in maintaining their own services.
Self-hosting also places operational responsibility on the firm. Email, file synchronization, backups, access controls and service monitoring need ongoing attention, and Brown’s list alone does not establish how the systems are secured, backed up or supported. His report is an individual account of tools in use, not an audit or a recommendation for law firms generally.
Popular right now
Roborock Q7 M5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop with Self-Emptying Dock
iRobot Roomba Plus 678 Robot Vacuum and Mop with AutoWash Dock
Ninja DualBrew Pro Specialty Coffee Maker, Black, CFP301
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Changes Since Earlier Updates
Brown says he began running decoded.legal on Free software on both client and server systems around five years before this 2026 update. He had previously written about his experience after roughly a year and followed up again in 2024. The new post was prompted by a reader asking what he uses now; Brown says much of the setup remains the same, while some components have changed.
The most substantial server-side change he identifies is replacing Nextcloud after finding it caused more problems than it solved. He now uses Syncthing for file synchronization and Radicale for CalDAV and CardDAV services, and says he has been happy with the combination. He also stopped running a Jitsi server a few months before writing, explaining that he was rarely using it because he usually joined meetings hosted by others. He now offers Signal for video calls.
On the desktop, Brown says he prefers terminal-based programs such as mutt, Vim, ikhal, Newsboat and toot because he is comfortable with a keyboard-focused workflow and finds these tools less distracting. He also uses graphical applications; his setup is a mix rather than a terminal-only environment.
„Everything here – other than Signal – is self-hosted“
— Neil Brown, decoded.legal
Open Questions About Reliability and Support
Brown reports that his ThinkPad’s Thunderbolt and USB-C ports work for power but are unreliable for data, and says he may need to replace the laptop. He has not decided what machine to buy. He also reports problems with some recurring calendar invitations in Thunderbird, while ikhal handles them correctly; he says he has not investigated the cause.
The post does not provide a full inventory of the firm’s systems or details about backup arrangements, service availability, costs, security testing, client-data policies or maintenance time. It also does not quantify how much work the setup saves or whether it reduces expenses. The account therefore cannot establish how the approach would perform for a different firm or under different client and regulatory requirements.
Possible Mail and Hardware Changes
Brown says he needs to move the firm’s mail infrastructure at some point and wants to evaluate Stalwart. He gives no schedule for that change. A replacement for his laptop is also only a possibility while the port problem remains unresolved, and he has not identified a model.
For now, the update describes the tools currently in use rather than announcing a broader migration plan. Further changes may follow Brown’s evaluation of mail software and hardware, but the post does not set dates or confirm that either change will happen.
Key Questions
What is the news in Brown’s 2026 update?
Brown has published a new account of the Free software he uses at decoded.legal, including updates to the firm’s desktop tools and self-hosted services.
What replaced Nextcloud?
Brown says he moved file synchronization to Syncthing and uses Radicale for calendar and contacts. He says he has been happy with that combination.
Does decoded.legal self-host all its services?
No. Brown says the services in his server-side list are self-hosted except Signal. The post does not give a complete inventory of every system the firm uses.
What problems does Brown report?
He says his laptop’s Thunderbolt and USB-C ports are unreliable for data, and Thunderbird has trouble with some recurring calendar invitations. He has not settled on a laptop replacement or identified the cause of the calendar issue.
Is the setup presented as a recommendation for other law firms?
No. It is Brown’s account of the tools used in one small firm. The post does not compare costs or assess how the arrangement would meet another firm’s security, support or client requirements.
Source: decoded.legal
