My Linux Applications

I’ve been using Linux for years and have come across many applications over this time. Over these years, my day to day applications have changed a bit as new more promising applications come along. I’ve decided to compile a list applications I couldn’t live without in Linux.

KeepassX

I don’t know how I survived before I was introduced to this application. It efficiently manages all my passwords and provides a simple method to automatically type the passwords for me. It saves me time and energy. Plus, it can auto generate very complex passwords that makes my online presence much more secure.


Pidgin

I’ve been using this applications since back when it was Gaim. It has always been my #1 choice for multi-protocol messenger. I have tried numerous others but always come back to Pidgin because it is stable and just simply works. It allows me to rename my contacts (who keeps track of people by screen name anyway?) and organize them into groups.


Fluendo DVD Player

You need a break from time to time to watch DVD’s. That is where Fluendo comes in. It is not free but it works and works well providing a great sound and picture on Linux. The feature set is simple allowing you to focus on enjoying the movie.


Firefox

I used it originally as Mozilla, then it shed it’s bloat and became Firefox, the browser that changed everything. Now we have Chrome on the scene but I’m still holding true to Firefox because of its great longstanding support for Linux.


Banshee

I previously used Rhythmbox and Amarok prior to that. Amorok was nice but I moved away from running KDE and Amorok felt to heavy and out of place. I enjoyed Rhythmbox which shipped with Ubuntu and enjoyed its simplicity while still offering cover art, CD rip and internet radio.Ubuntu recently made the decision to switch to Banshee and I see why. It is similar to Rhythmbox, but with a much better interface and control over your music.


KeepNote

I need to keep track of things from time to time. That is where keepnote comes in. It is a simple note taking tool that stores notes in a folder structure layout. This is what is most natural to me. I’ve tried Tomboy and other note taking tools and none worked for my style of thinking like keepnote.


Eclipse

I am a programmer and require a IDE to do heavy projects. Eclipse is a great tool that can debug code by stepping through it one line at a time as well as connect to databases or any repository for tracking the code. Eclipse supports almost every language and has plugins that enable it to do just about anything.


VI

When needing to do simple edits from the console, nothing handles it like VI. No other editors works so well to always keep your hands from bounding all over the keyboard or forcing you to move off to the mouse. This is still the best editor in my opinion and will be for all time.


SQuirreL

Working on projects will almost always involve a database. Squirrel is my program of choice for connecting to a database to run SQL. It puts all new query results into new tabs so you can run new queries and keep your previous results. It’s interface is very java like, it can be slow at times and can be overwhelming at first but its list of features quickly makes up for this. It can edit data inline, have several connections to different databases and save all your connections in an easy to use list.
TrueCrypt
Security is an important thing. I use TrueCrypt to create encrypted volumes to secure my data. That way my important stuff stays safe even if my computer is lost.


CrashPlan

So much data is stored on computers now. You need to keep your data safe. That is why I use CrashPlan to backup that data safely so that if my computer crashes, I have a safe and secure backup that can be restored so that I haven’t lost any memory photos.



LibreOffice

These days I don't do much word processing or spreadsheets but if I need something powerful, LibreOffice is my choice. Formerly I used OpenOffice.org but once Oracle took over LibreOffice forked and is now the primary option shipped with most Linux distributions.

Well, that’s it. These are the main Linux applications I use on a regular basis. Over the years I’ve mostly stuck with the same applications and have only changed a couple and added as I’ve gone. Please feel free to leave in the comments your Linux applications you couldn’t live without.