Essential open-source software and apps you need to have installed on your Ubuntu system.
Ubuntu becomes one of the most productive and effective system available completely for free for anyone. In this article, I would like to show you the best software apps you need to have installed on your Ubuntu system to help you work like you do on Windows desktop.
I will include all must-have software I need to have installed on every Ubuntu linux operating system right after install it. Software will be categorized nicely to help you choose the best possible combination for you and your work. Enjoy!
Graphics Software
Ever wanted to do something “more” with your photos? Editing, creation, processing, uploading and viewing photos is much easier with these completely free apps.
The gimp is the best open-source graphics manipulation and editing software. You can do so much things with it. It is mentioned as the best free replacement for Adobe Photoshop!
It is a full-featured photo management software for the GNOME desktop environment. It is fast and allows you to do some very useful features for free.
Google Picasa is a powerful photo organizing and editing application available for all popular platforms. Allows you to upload your photos easily within application.
Shutter is a completely free full-featured screen capturing application. With this software you will easily capture and record anything you do on your GNOME desktop.
Internet Software
Internet-related software is here to help us all work better on internet by browsing and viewing all internet content from our computer.
For sure the best possible way to browse internet – and not only on Linux operating system. It is the most popular free web browsers with so much functions.
If you want to watch online videos and play flash-based games online this is absolutely the must-have application for you. Supporting 32-bit and 64-bit systems too.
If you have your own website or a web application, you will need to check out contents of it from time to time. FileZilla would help you do all FTP jobs to be done easily and quickly.
Thunderbird is an application that would help you to organize, view and send all your email from one place without opening your web browser.
All-in-one application combining e-mail, calendar, address book, and task list management functions. Good alternative to Microsoft’s Outlook application.
To put it simple Transmission is the best and most-effective BitTorrent client for Linux operating system. If you download torrents this is a must-have app for you!
Empathy is an instant messaging application which supports text, video and voice chatting with opportunity for file-sharing between clients. Easy, simple and effective.
Skype is a cross-platform application specialized in voice chatting. Supports you to call on the real land and mobile phones for low costs. Internet calls are free.
Watch earth from the space with this Google application. Supports linux-based systems and works great for a very popular price of $0.00 to download and use!
Xchat is a full-featured IRC client available for windows and linux systems. Allows you to enter and chat using IRC protocols and channels widely presented in the world.
Office Software
Trying to write something and do your office work on your Ubuntu or other linux based systems? Do not look anywhere else – there are some of the best office-related apps for you!
A full-featured open-source office suite supported on cross-platforms. The best possible alternative to Microsoft’s Office commercial products.
It is an open-source free word processing program with similar functionality to Microsoft Word commercial software. Supporting some advanced features and options.
Want to read .PDF files used for e-book and online documentation? This is probably the best possible way to do that on your computer!
GEdit is the best and well-featured text editing application. Good replacement to Microsoft Notepad and supporting many languages with good syntax-highlight feature.
GnuCash is personal and small-business financial-accounting software available on all popular system platforms. Designed to be easy to use, yet powerful and flexible.
Open source DTP app. Scribus supports professional publishing features, such as CMYK color, separations, Spot Colors, ICC color management and versatile PDF creation.
Multimedia Software
If you want to watch videos and listen your favorite music files on your Ubuntu desktop, you would need to have some of these applications installed on your system.
Amarok is probably the most important audio player developed for Unix operating systems. Listen your favorite music easily with support for many popular formats as well.
It is a free and open-source application for editing and recording sounds easily. Available for Mac OS X, Windows and GNU/Linux systems. Must-have app for your desktop.
It is one of the most popular video players available for your desktop. Supporting many formats and allows you to use many options and features.
Kino is a non-linear DV editor for GNU/Linux. features excellent integration with IEEE-1394 for capture, VTR control, and recording back to the camera.
Brasero is a application to burn CD/DVD for the Gnome Desktop. This is the most-favorite burning application created for Linux systems for me. Must-have installed definitely.
SoundJuicer is an audio CD ripping tool. Allows you to rip audio files easily from your audio CDs in some popular audio formats supported widely such as .MP3 and more.
Other Useful Software
There are some of the best software releases that does not fit in any other mentioned category. Anyway, I need to have these apps installed too on my Ubuntu system.
Wine lets you run Windows software on other operating systems. With Wine, you can install and run these applications just like you would in Windows. (Supported apps list)
It is an open-source virtualization software that lets you run your old Windows desktop as a virtual machine under your Linux desktop. Simply works great!
KompoZer is a completely free well-featured web authoring application that combines web file management and easy-to-use WYSIWYG website editing.
Java runetime environment is required on every system to run and open any Java-based contents on your computer. A must-have application to install on your system.