I cannot believe it. Someone actually asked me something about my last post (A Year In Linux) and wanted to know what Linux applications I typically load and run. Not one to remain silent, I am providing said list at this time.
All you non-nerds, just stop reading now. It will only bore you and you will whine.
When I think of the entire set of applications/packages that I load, I find four basic categories: office, connectivity, development, and other. The development category includes software related to software development and computer programming. The office category includes software related to documents, diagrams, spreadsheets, etc. The Connectivity category includes software related to communicating with others via computer. And the "other" category is... other things... like music players, games, useful utilities.
Note eveything I use and list here is open source and thus available for free use.
Office:
- OpenOffice, possibly the best desktop office suite on any and all platforms, surpasses commercial products
- Like Microsoft Office, but simply better, and free.
- database app, rival to MS Access
- presentation app, rival to PowerPoint
- word processor app, rival to MS Word
- spreadsheet app, rival to MS Excel
- AbiWord, a lightweight, but complete word processor, faster than most others
- Like Microsoft Word, without the bloat, bugs, and wait times.
- GIMP, the best open source image editing software, rivals commercial products
- Don't know of a close Windows comparison, GIMP is far beyond the capabilities of Paint and PhotoEdit.
- Dia Diagram Editor
- This is probably the closest thing to Visio you will find in the open source world.
- Inkscape Vector Illustrator
- Another diagramming tool I use at times instead of Dia.
- Planner
- A project management tool like MS Project that I only recently started using.
Connectivity:
- Firefox, the best web browser currently in existence
- MS Explorer has slowly been imitating Firefox in all areas but one: standards compliance - MS simply will not produce a web-standards compliant web browser.
- Evolution, an email client that does nearly everything
- Like Microsoft Outlook (or is that MS Lookout!), even handles MS Exchange and MS Calendar.
- Pidgen
- This is an all-in-one instant messaging app that used to be called gaim, combines AIM, Yahoo, Google, and other chat systems under one application allowing you to do all your instant messaging from multiple accounts in one place.
- Skype
- This is the same voice over IP software Windows PC users use, just built specifically for Linux, allows you to make and receive voice calls.
- Thunderbird, another email client
- Normally I have used this email client exclusively and it is far superior to many others in feature and stability. However here at work I need a closer hook up with MS Exchange and so Evolution is my email client of choice here at work, but at home, I use Thunderbird.
Development:
- gcc/g++, the GNU C and C++ compilers and associated libraries
- This is standard fare for Linux programmers, and very useful for users adding custom apps.
- GVim, the graphical version of the VIM (vi Improved) text editor
- Yes this is a modern day version of the venerable vi text editor, on steroids, yes I use it.
- GHex, a binary file editor
- Sometimes you really need to look into a file and see what is there when nothing else will read it
- Subversion, a revision control system
- This is what we use to manage the software code base we write. Most of our company uses ClearCase, but we have moved all our Linux work to Subversion because it is easier to use, easier to administer, and overall more stable and better integrated with our Linux desktops.
- kdesvn, a Subversion client
- This is the best graphical Subversion client I have found, made for the KDE desktop, but works wonderfully with Gnome as well.
- kompare, a graphical difference tool
- This works in conjunction with kdesvn and shows differences between revisions of files, makes kdesvn a snap to use.
- kdiff3, a file merge tool
- This tool allows you to merge 2 or 3 different files into one file, programmers know what pains merge tools can be, this one is excellent, but merging is always painful.
- Anjuta, a programmer's integrated developmen environment (IDE)
- Like MS Visual Studio, but different, I use this for small projects but not for the bigger ones where SlickEdit (a non-free, commercial development IDE tool) is much better to use.
- I am still looking for the dream IDE, Eclipse is not it.
Other:
- Amarok, one of the best music players available for Linux
- Made for KDE desktop, but I use daily in Gnome, fast, stable, and works well.
- Audacity Sound Editor
- The best free audio editing software I have ever found.
- Nautilus Extensions
- These are extensions to the Nautilus File Browser (think Windows File Manager) that provide some useful right-click context menu add-ons.
- Games
- There are a good number of simple, yet enjoyable games that come with Ubuntu Linux, but I did add a few, it simply depends on what you like to do during lunch at your desk.
- Other Utilities
- I also load other utilities that I have written and continue to write. These include BASH scripts and small programs for various things.
Well there it is, my list of applications and packages I add every time I build up a Linux desktop. I probably left out something and will have to edit this later. But for now, I think its fairly complete. Your mileage may vary.
I hope this proves useful to someone, somewhere. Actually, in a few months, when I reload a box with Linux, I will probably have to come back to this list to remember something I forgot to load.
Copyright 2008, Kevin Farley (a.k.a. sixdrift, a.k.a. neuronstatic)
