Author Topic: What is the best LINUX software? (Read 12843 times)

KenR · « **on:** July 14, 2007, 12:12 PM »

Hi DC gang. I have a question for the Linux users ...

For those of you who have "taken the plunge" or are familiar with Linux software, what is your favorite or the "known best" Linux software?

Thanks, Ken

Laughing Man · « **Reply #1 on:** July 14, 2007, 02:11 PM »

Haha that's hard to say.. though I have to say the best software are the windows managers Beryl (well now that it's reorganized) Compiz Fusion. It's helped me so much.

wreckedcarzz · « **Reply #2 on:** July 14, 2007, 06:37 PM »

I would have to say that, both on Linux and Windows, I find Firefox, Thunderbird, Pidgin and especially OpenOffice.org to be the programs that are the most handy. They work well on both platforms and are very reliable. I use all 4 almost every day.

jgpaiva · « **Reply #3 on:** July 14, 2007, 08:11 PM »

best linux software ever

Other than that... Opera (which doesn't feel quite right under linux, though), firefox (which i usually use on linux, although i prefer opera on windows). There's also a jukebox which is pretty good, but i can't recall its name.

zridling · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2007, 09:48 AM »

In my very limited experience, here's a few I've found so far:

— Codeweavers CrossOver Linux Pro (many use WINE)
— XnView
— OpenOffice
— k3b (DVD/CD burning app)
— RAR for Linux
— Gimp Image Editor

You might also add the BASH shell and Samba (networking included on all distros to share file and print services with Windows). Something I'm going to write about this week is the software management model for GNU/Linux. In many ways similar to Windows, you have an overwhelming number of choices with software, and thus the need to answer Ken's question: Which apps are best? There's the rub.

Laughing Man · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2007, 12:11 PM »

best linux software ever

Other than that... Opera (which doesn't feel quite right under linux, though), firefox (which i usually use on linux, although i prefer opera on windows). There's also a jukebox which is pretty good, but i can't recall its name.
-jgpaiva (July 14, 2007, 08:11 PM)

Rhythmbox? Or Amarok? They're both awesome music players that remind me of jukeboxes.

I guess it really depends on what guidelines for best.

jgpaiva · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2007, 12:14 PM »

Rythmbox! I think that's the one.

Edvard · « **Reply #7 on:** July 16, 2007, 11:24 AM »

If you're able to get into a Ubuntu start menu (live CD, friend's Ubuntu box, whatever...) find the Add/Remove application.
It's kind of like the Synaptic package manager, but with a different focus. It gives you star ratings based on Ubuntu's Popularity Contest database. You can quickly find the most popular (not always the best, but certainly most preferred...) software in each category and try it out.

invenit · « **Reply #8 on:** October 08, 2008, 10:57 AM »

For those of you who have "taken the plunge" or are familiar with Linux software, what is your favorite or the "known best" Linux software?

Check out this amazing 126+ page thread about little-known linux apps http://ubuntuforums....thers+might+-know+of

Edvard · « **Reply #9 on:** October 08, 2008, 12:06 PM »

126 pages?!?!
No thanks (though I did peek at the first 8 or so...)
Stuff that's constantly used on my box:

Thunar file manager (and yes, I've tried ALL the others, xfe, pcmanfm, ad nauseum...)
Inkscape (not exclusively Linux, but it works better than the Windows port)
Openbox + Barpanel (when I'm just not in the mood for Xfce...)
K3b (second vote I know, but it IS the best CD burning software for Linux, HANDS DOWN)
Jack (8.3 msec latency with onboard sound on a 1GHz Celeron, anyone?)
Ardour, JackRack, Hydrogen (things that go with Jack...)
Qcad (Inkscape and Xfig don't do porch plans)

Probably a bunch more that don't spring to mind at the moment, but there's the answer to your question.

@zridling: Just askin', not hatin', but how can you stand XnView on Linux? On Windows, it's a wonderful instrument of power and grace (yes, I prefer it over Irfanview, no real reason, that's just how it is...) but on Linux, it's a... umm... not.
Many of the features seem to be missing or just don't work in the same way, many file formats are missing, printing is via an indecipherable lpr command, ugh...
Besides all that, the GUI looks worse than effing god-awful.
Yes, you could say that Linux is not Windows and the interface is not going to be the same, but take a program like Audacity which looks and works the exact same on either (and excellently, I might add...).

Sorry about the rant, I just really hate that XnView looks and performs so badly on Linux (for me, anyways) and there isn't anything else like it without resorting to Gimp.

Dbug · « **Reply #10 on:** October 08, 2008, 12:13 PM »

I have not used linux much, but my favorite of the linux bunch is Okular, the new KDE document viewer.

I have not found any windows app that can open even half of the formats supported by Okular.

40hz · « **Reply #11 on:** October 08, 2008, 03:26 PM »

I am really starting to like Appnr for Ubuntu.

It's not so much an app as a web-based way to install apps. I think it works better than Synaptic for newcomers (I don't use the word 'newbie'), and it's pretty convenient for older, grumpier, lazier types - like me!

Check it out:

http://appnr.com/

Edvard · « **Reply #12 on:** October 08, 2008, 04:39 PM »

Looks like a web version of what Synaptic already does.

OOOHH, BUT WITH PICTURES!

Nice find, 40Hz

40hz · « **Reply #13 on:** October 08, 2008, 04:40 PM »

Check out this amazing 126+ page thread about little-known linux apps
-invenit (October 08, 2008, 10:57 AM)

OMG 126 pages? What happened?
Did they finally release a Linux version of SQLNotes?

Edvard · « **Reply #14 on:** October 08, 2008, 04:45 PM »

40hz · « **Reply #15 on:** October 08, 2008, 06:09 PM »

Looks like a web version of what Synaptic already does.

OOOHH, BUT WITH PICTURES!

Nice find, 40Hz
-Edvard (October 08, 2008, 04:39 PM)

And less geeky descriptions!

What can I say, I'm a heretic. I actually liked Automatix despite all the criticisms and warnings. (Hmm...I used to smoke too...so I guess I still have a low-key closet death-wish someplace in my psyche....

)

40hz · « **Reply #16 on:** October 08, 2008, 06:17 PM »

Of course you could always start scanning the two mother lodes of NIXapp goodness:

Gnome Geeks: http://www.gnomefiles.org/

KDE Wonks: http://www.kde-apps.org/

Think of them as www.snapfiles.com for Linux

Edvard · « **Reply #17 on:** October 08, 2008, 06:20 PM »

and everybody else: http://www.gtk-apps.org/

invenit · « **Reply #18 on:** October 08, 2008, 07:24 PM »

Though I use Ad Muncher these days in WinXP, I use Proxomitron via Wine in Ubuntu 8.04. Claws invokes Galeon for my email links & Proxomitron works like nobody's business! Based on my good experience with Proxomitron, I may look at other WinXP softwares for linux (e.g., Chrome) as well as the excellent linux suggestions.

40hz · « **Reply #19 on:** October 09, 2008, 11:32 AM »

I'm a big fan of BasKet Note Pad despite the idiotic insistence of the KDE crowd to cram a <*expletive*> 'K' into every application's name.

(***edit*** removed minor rant regarding the use of K in all KDE apps. I was having a bad day when I wrote it. )

Basket Note is like Tomboy on steroids. A good inbox for all the random stuff that falls out of your brain. One of the first things I load onto a fresh NIX installation. Highly recommended.

Homepage: http://basket.kde.org/

Also a good review of BasKet along with other NIX note taking apps can be found here:

http://www.linux.com/feature/135843