Here is a list of my must-have Linux applications by category.
Multimedia
Audacity – Audacity is free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.
Audio-recorder – The name speaks for itself — it’s an audio recorder.
Clementine – A modern music player and library organizer.
VLC – Simple, fast and powerful media player.
Chat / Instant Messaging
Pidgin – Graphical multi-protocol instant messaging client for X
Skype – client for Skype VOIP and instant messaging service
Text Editors
FocusWriter – FocusWriter is a simple, distraction-free writing environment.
LibreOffice – LibreOffice is a powerful office suite.
Medit – is a programming and around-programming text editor.
Command Line Tools
curl – A command line tool for transferring data with URL syntax.
git – Fast, scalable, distributed revision control system
pandoc – general markup converter
pdftk – tool for manipulating PDF documents
screen – Terminal multiplexor with VT100/ANSI terminal emulation
Miscellaneous Graphical Applications
Kupfer – fast and lightweight desktop summoner/launcher
Shutter – feature-rich screenshot program
Xmind – Professional & Powerful Mind Mapping Software.
Comprehensive Must-Have Linux Application List
By scouring the web and reading various forums and blog posts, I’ve come up with this comprehensive list. These applications kept making appearances on many peoples must-have lists.
7Zip – 7-Zip is a file archiver with a high compression ratio.
amarok – Amarok is a powerful music player for Linux, Unix and Windows with an intuitive interface.
audacity – Audacity is free, open source, cross-platform software for recording and editing sounds.
autojump – Autojump provides a faster way to navigate your filesystem, with a “cd command that learns.”
avconv (ffmpeg) – avconv is a very fast video and audio converter.
banshee – media management and playback application.
bleachbit – Delete unnecessary files from the system.
bluefish – Bluefish is a GTK+ HTML editor for the experienced web designer.
calibre – ebook manager.
chrome (chromium) – A web browser.
clementine – A modern music player and library organizer.
devede – A simple application to create Video DVDs
empathy – A multi-protocol chat and call client.
evince – Document (PostScript, PDF) viewer.
evolution – E-mail client.
ffmpeg (avconv) – avconv is a very fast video and audio converter.
filezilla – Full-featured graphical FTP/FTPS/SFTP client.
firefox – Safe and easy web browser from Mozilla.
gajim – GTK based jabber client.
geeqie – Image viewer using GTK+.
gimp – The GNU Image Manipulation Program
git – Fast, scalable, distributed revision control system
Google Earth – Google Earth is a virtual globe, map and geographical information program.
gparted – GNOME partition editor
grafx2 – ultimate 256-color bitmap paint program
gthumb – Image viewer and browser.
guake – Drop-down terminal for GNOME Desktop Environment
gwenview – Image browser.
handbrake – Open Source Video Transcoder
htop – interactive processes viewer
imagemagick – image manipulation programs
inkscape – vector-based drawing program
jabref – graphical frontend to manage BibTeX databases
joe – user friendly full screen text editor
k3b – Sophisticated CD/DVD burning application
keepassx – Cross Platform Password Manager
libreoffice – office productivity suite (metapackage)
mc – Midnight Commander – a powerful file manager
meld – graphical tool to diff and merge files
mpd – Music Player Daemon
mplayer – movie player for Unix-like systems
mtpaint – painting program to create pixel art and manipulate digital photos
mupdf – lightweight PDF viewer
mutt – text-based mailreader supporting MIME, GPG, PGP and threading
mypaint – paint program for use with graphics tablets
ncdu – ncurses disk usage viewer
ncmpcpp – ncurses-based client for the Music Player Daemon (MPD)
newsbeuter – text mode rss feed reader with podcast support
openshot – Create and edit videos and movies
parcellite – lightweight GTK+ clipboard manager
picasa – Organize, edit, and share your photos
ranger – File manager with an ncurses frontend written in Python
recordmydesktop – Captures audio-video data of a Linux desktop session
rhythmbox – music player and organizer for GNOME
rsync – fast, versatile, remote (and local) file-copying tool
rubber – automated system for building LaTeX documents
samba – SMB/CIFS file, print, and login server for Unix
scrot – command line screen capture utility
shotwell – digital photo organizer
shutter – feature-rich screenshot program
skype – client for Skype VOIP and instant messaging service
sxiv – simple X image viewer
synapse – semantic file launcher
terminator – multiple GNOME terminals in one window
thunderbird – Email, RSS and newsgroup client with integrated spam filter
timeshift – Bacukp software similar to Time Machine in Mac OS
tmux – terminal multiplexer
transmission – lightweight BitTorrent client
tree – displays directory tree, in color
units – converts between different systems of units
vim – Vi IMproved – enhanced vi editor
virtualbox – x86 virtualization solution – base binaries
vlc – multimedia player and streamer
w3m – WWW browsable pager with excellent tables/frames support
weechat – Fast, light and extensible chat client
wine – Microsoft Windows Compatibility Layer
xbmc – XBMC Media Center
xchat – IRC client for X similar to AmIRC
xmobar – lightweight status bar for X11 window managers
xmonad – Lightweight X11 window manager written in Haskell
xsane – featureful graphical frontend for SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy)
But wait. There’s more.
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