What are linux x applications

What is Linux?

From smartphones to cars, supercomputers and home appliances, home desktops to enterprise servers, the Linux operating system is everywhere.

Linux has been around since the mid-1990s and has since reached a user-base that spans the globe. Linux is actually everywhere: It?s in your phones, your thermostats, in your cars, refrigerators, Roku devices, and televisions. It also runs most of the Internet, all of the world’s top 500 supercomputers, and the world’s stock exchanges.

But besides being the platform of choice to run desktops, servers, and embedded systems across the globe, Linux is one of the most reliable, secure and worry-free operating systems available.

Here is all the information you need to get up to speed on the Linux platform.

What is Linux?

Just like Windows, iOS, and Mac OS, Linux is an operating system. In fact, one of the most popular platforms on the planet, Android, is powered by the Linux operating system. An operating system is software that manages all of the hardware resources associated with your desktop or laptop. To put it simply, the operating system manages the communication between your software and your hardware. Without the operating system (OS), the software wouldn?t function.

The Linux operating system comprises several different pieces:

1. Bootloader – The software that manages the boot process of your computer. For most users, this will simply be a splash screen that pops up and eventually goes away to boot into the operating system.
2. Kernel – This is the one piece of the whole that is actually called ?Linux?. The kernel is the core of the system and manages the CPU, memory, and peripheral devices. The kernel is the lowest level of the OS.
3. Init system – This is a sub-system that bootstraps the user space and is charged with controlling daemons. One of the most widely used init systems is systemd? which also happens to be one of the most controversial. It is the init system that manages the boot process, once the initial booting is handed over from the bootloader (i.e., GRUB or GRand Unified Bootloader).
4. Daemons – These are background services (printing, sound, scheduling, etc.) that either start up during boot or after you log into the desktop.
5. Graphical server – This is the sub-system that displays the graphics on your monitor. It is commonly referred to as the X server or just X.
6. Desktop environment – This is the piece that the users actually interact with. There are many desktop environments to choose from (GNOME, Cinnamon, Mate, Pantheon, Enlightenment, KDE, Xfce, etc.). Each desktop environment includes built-in applications (such as file managers, configuration tools, web browsers, and games).
7. Applications – Desktop environments do not offer the full array of apps. Just like Windows and macOS, Linux offers thousands upon thousands of high-quality software titles that can be easily found and installed. Most modern Linux distributions (more on this below) include App Store-like tools that centralize and simplify application installation. For example, Ubuntu Linux has the Ubuntu Software Center (a rebrand of GNOME Software? Figure 1) which allows you to quickly search among the thousands of apps and install them from one centralized location.

Why use Linux?

This is the one question that most people ask. Why bother learning a completely different computing environment, when the operating system that ships with most desktops, laptops, and servers works just fine?

To answer that question, I would pose another question. Does that operating system you?re currently using really work ?just fine?? Or, do you find yourself battling obstacles like viruses, malware, slow downs, crashes, costly repairs, and licensing fees?
If you struggle with the above, Linux might be the perfect platform for you. Linux has evolved into one of the most reliable computer ecosystems on the planet. Combine that reliability with zero cost of entry and you have the perfect solution for a desktop platform.

That’s right, zero cost of entry… as in free. You can install Linux on as many computers as you like without paying a cent for software or server licensing.

Let’s take a look at the cost of a Linux server in comparison to Windows Server 2016. The price of the Windows Server 2016 Standard edition is $882.00 USD (purchased directly from Microsoft). That doesn’t include Client Access License (CALs) and licenses for other software you may need to run (such as a database, a web server, mail server, etc.). For example, a single user CAL, for Windows Server 2016, costs $38.00. If you need to add 10 users, for example, that’s $388.00 more dollars for server software licensing. With the Linux server, it?s all free and easy to install. In fact, installing a full-blown web server (that includes a database server), is just a few clicks or commands away (take a look at ?Easy LAMP Server Installation? to get an idea how simple it can be).

If zero cost isn’t enough to win you over? what about having an operating system that will work, trouble free, for as long as you use it? I’ve used Linux for nearly 20 years (as both a desktop and server platform) and have not had any issues with ransomware, malware, or viruses. Linux is generally far less vulnerable to such attacks. As for server reboots, they’re only necessary if the kernel is updated. It is not out of the ordinary for a Linux server to go years without being rebooted. If you follow the regular recommended updates, stability and dependability are practically assured.

Open source

Linux is also distributed under an open source license. Open source follows these key tenants:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
• The freedom to study how the program works, and change it to make it do what you wish.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
• The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others.

These points are crucial to understanding the community that works together to create the Linux platform. Without a doubt, Linux is an operating system that is ?by the people, for the people?. These tenants are also a main factor in why many people choose Linux. It?s about freedom and freedom of use and freedom of choice.

What is a “distribution?”

Linux has a number of different versions to suit any type of user. From new users to hard-core users, you’ll find a “flavor” of Linux to match your needs. These versions are called distributions (or, in the short form, “distros”). Nearly every distribution of Linux can be downloaded for free, burned onto disk (or USB thumb drive), and installed (on as many machines as you like).

Popular Linux distributions include:

• LINUX MINT
• MANJARO
• DEBIAN
• UBUNTU
• ANTERGOS
• SOLUS
• FEDORA
• ELEMENTARY OS
• OPENSUSE

Each distribution has a different take on the desktop. Some opt for very modern user interfaces (such as GNOME and Elementary OS’s Pantheon), whereas others stick with a more traditional desktop environment (openSUSE uses KDE).

You can check out the top 100 distributions on the Distrowatch.

And don’t think the server has been left behind. For this arena, you can turn to:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Server
• Centos
• SUSE Enterprise Linux

Some of the above server distributions are free (such as Ubuntu Server and CentOS) and some have an associated price (such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Enterprise Linux). Those with an associated price also include support.

Which distribution is right for you?

Which distribution you use will depend on the answer to three simple questions:

• How skilled of a computer user are you?
• Do you prefer a modern or a standard desktop interface?
• Server or desktop?

If your computer skills are fairly basic, you’ll want to stick with a newbie-friendly distribution such as Linux Mint, Ubuntu (Figure 3), Elementary OS or Deepin. If your skill set extends into the above-average range, you could go with a distribution like Debian or Fedora. If, however, you’ve pretty much mastered the craft of computer and system administration, use a distribution like Gentoo. If you really want a challenge, you can build your very own Linux distribution, with the help of Linux From Scratch.

If you’re looking for a server-only distribution, you will also want to decide if you need a desktop interface, or if you want to do this via command-line only. The Ubuntu Server does not install a GUI interface. This means two things your server won’t be bogged down loading graphics and you’ll need to have a solid understanding of the Linux command line. However, you can install a GUI package on top of the Ubuntu Server with a single command like sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop. System administrators will also want to view a distribution with regards to features. Do you want a server-specific distribution that will offer you, out of the box, everything you need for your server? If so, CentOS might be the best choice. Or, do you want to take a desktop distribution and add the pieces as you need them? If so, Debian or Ubuntu Linux might serve you well.

Installing Linux

For many people, the idea of installing an operating system might seem like a very daunting task. Believe it or not, Linux offers one of the easiest installations of all operating systems. In fact, most versions of Linux offer what is called a Live distribution ? which means you run the operating system from either a CD/DVD or USB flash drive without making any changes to your hard drive. You get the full functionality without having to commit to the installation. Once you’ve tried it out, and decided you wanted to use it, you simply double-click the “Install” icon and walk through the simple installation wizard.

Typically, the installation wizards walk you through the process with the following steps (We’ll illustrate the installation of Ubuntu Linux):

• Preparation: Make sure your machine meets the requirements for installation. This also may ask you if you want to install third-party software (such as plugins for MP3 playback, video codecs, and more).
• Wireless setup (if necessary): If you are using a laptop (or machine with wireless), you’ll need to connect to the network, in order to download third-party software and updates.
• Hard drive allocation (Figure 4): This step allows you to select how you want the operating system to be installed. Are you going to install Linux alongside another operating system (called “dual booting”), use the entire hard drive, upgrade an existing Linux installation, or install over an existing version of Linux.
• Location: Select your location from the map.
• Keyboard layout: Select the keyboard for your system.
• User setup: Set up your username and password.

That’s it. Once the system has completed the installation, reboot and you’re ready to go. For a more in-depth guide to installing Linux, take a look at “How to Install and Try Linux the Absolutely Easiest and Safest Way” or download the Linux Foundation’s PDF guide for Linux installation.

Installing software on Linux

Just as the operating system itself is easy to install, so too are applications. Most modern Linux distributions include what most would consider an app store. This is a centralized location where software can be searched and installed. Ubuntu Linux (and many other distributions) rely on GNOME Software, Elementary OS has the AppCenter, Deepin has the Deepin Software Center, openSUSE has their AppStore, and some distributions rely on Synaptic.

Regardless of the name, each of these tools do the same thing? a central place to search for and install Linux software. Of course, these pieces of software depend upon the presence of a GUI. For GUI-less servers, you will have to depend upon the command-line interface for installation.

Let’s look at two different tools to illustrate how easy even the command line installation can be. Our examples are for Debian-based distributions and Fedora-based distributions. The Debian-based distros will use the apt-get tool for installing software and Fedora-based distros will require the use of the yum tool. Both work very similarly. We’ll illustrate using the apt-get command. Let’s say you want to install the wget tool (which is a handy tool used to download files from the command line). To install this using apt-get, the command would like like this:

The sudo command is added because you need super user privileges in order to install software. Similarly, to install the same software on a Fedora-based distribution, you would first su to the super user (literally issue the command su and enter the root password), and issue this command:

That’s all there is to installing software on a Linux machine. It’s not nearly as challenging as you might think. Still in doubt? Recall the Easy Lamp Server Installation from earlier? With a single command:

You can install a complete LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) server on either a server or desktop distribution. It really is that easy.

More resources

If you’re looking for one of the most reliable, secure, and dependable platforms for both the desktop and the server, look no further than one of the many Linux distributions. With Linux you can assure your desktops will be free of trouble, your servers up, and your support requests minimal.

For more information to help guide you through your lifetime with Linux, check out the following resources:

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Must Have Essential Applications for Desktop Linux Users

Last updated June 24, 2021 By Ankush Das 257 Comments

Brief: What are the must-have applications for Linux? The answer is subjective, and it depends on what purposes you have for using desktop Linux. But there are still some essential Linux apps that are more likely to be used by most Linux users. Here, we’ve listed the best Linux applications that you should have installed on every Linux distribution you use.

In the world of Linux, there are alternatives to everything. Choosing a distro? There are dozens of them. Trying to find a decent music player? Lots of alternatives there too.

But not all of them are built with the same thing in mind – some of them might target minimalism, while others might offer tons of features. Finding the right application for your needs can be quite a confusing and tiresome task. Let’s make it a bit easier.

Essential applications for Linux users

I’ve put together a list of the essential Linux applications that I prefer to use in different categories. I’m not saying that they are the best, but I’ve tried lots of applications in each category and these are the ones I liked the most. So, you’re more than welcome to mention your favorite applications in the comments section too.

We’ve also had a video on this before (with a few different apps). Do subscribe to our YouTube channel for more educational Linux videos like this one:

We’ll mention some non-FOSS apps here as well (for the sake of regular users who just want a working desktop) – so feel free to let us know your non-FOSS suggestions after reading our recommendations.

In addition, we’ve categorized the apps as well to get you started!

Image Editors

We’ve already discussed some of the best photo applications for Linux. Here we’ll mention two essential tools for every type of user.

Allowing plugins that extend its functionality while being an open source solution is impressive. It offers almost every type of tool you will ever require manipulating an image, scale it, crop it, or simply add a layer to it. You can install it from your AppCenter or Software Center, or visit GIMP’s website to download it.

Inkscape

One of the best Linux tools for digital artists, Inkscape is certainly an impressive image editor as well. Unlike GIMP, Inkscape comes pre-installed on most of the major Linux distros. It offers a bunch of drawing tools and vector graphics editing capabilities making it a powerful choice for manipulating images as well.

Audio Editors

Audacity

We’ve mentioned several audio editors in the past, but Audacity is the most popular tool for basic editing tasks. You can try to experiment and pull off something interesting as well. It supports plugins to extend its functionality. If you’re wondering: it’s open-source software and available for free. You can install it directly from the App Center or Software Center, or from the official download page.

LMMS is a free Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) for Linux. It’s a feature-rich alternative to premium audio editors (or DAWs) for creating, editing, and recording music. If you have a MIDI device, you can just plug it into your machine and get started with LMMS. It also supports VST plugins to enhance your output. You can directly download it from the App Center or the Software Center. To build from source, check out their GitHub page.

Email Clients

Evolution

Evolution is the default mail app for GNOME desktop users, and it is quickly replacing Thunderbird as a pre-installed mail client on a lot of Linux distributions.

It offers an improved layout over Thunderbird and also supports Microsoft Exchange using an extension.

You can check out its GNOME wiki page to find links to Flatpak and other installation options.

Thunderbird

A simple and free email client developed by Mozilla. You may find it pre-installed on some Linux distributions – if not, you can easily install it using your Software Center or App Center. You can also download it from their website and then install it.

It offers most of the features you need – however, the UI may be the only downside for some.

Personal Communication

Signal

Signal is a popular open-source instant messaging app as one of the alternatives to WhatsApp.

We also have a guide to help you install Signal in Linux to get started.

Element

Element is a secure open-source collaboration platform built on Matrix network.

It may not be a popular choice, but it offers plenty of features as a replacement to many other proprietary options for personal or work communication.

Screen Recording and Streaming Tools

Blogger, YouTuber or work in similar industries? Here are a few tools for you.

Kazam

If you’ve been following us, you might have already read about the best screen recorders available for Linux. Kazam is the most simple solution among them. It lets you record your screen and includes a number of essential features like giving you the ability to select the area/window, hiding/showing the cursor, and enabling the sound from your mic/speaker. For installation instructions, their GitHub page would be your best bet.

Open Broadcaster Software is a pretty popular and robust screen recorder app often used by streamers.

You can heavily customize it, add your own template, etc. So there’s a lot of things you can do once you start exploring it. OBS is suitable for both personal and professional users – it’s not the easiest but it’s really useful.

Flameshot

Flameshot is my personal favorite for taking screenshots and annotating them. Heck, you can even directly upload your images to Imgur without needing to save them on your PC. I use this no matter what Linux distro I install — it’s so easy and flexible, you might want to install it too.

Ksnip

A quite simple Qt-based cross-platform screenshot tool that offers more annotation features. We’ve discussed multiple ways to take screenshots in Linux, and using Ksnip is one of them. It’s fairly new, and not the most popular screenshot tool out there, but it works as expected. Refer to the GitHub page for more info.

System Optimizers/Task Managers

Stacer

Stacer is my favorite system optimizer and task manager on Linux, with a beautiful user interface.

You get not only a pretty UI but also a solid set of features to help you in the best way possible. You can manage startup tasks, clean temporary/cache files, manage running services, uninstall packages, and monitor your system resources easily. Check out their GitHub page for installation instructions.

You probably know about the default “top” CLI tool. It’s still useful – but not the best out there.

So if you’re looking for a better command-line based tool, htop is the perfect replacement. You no longer need to type in the process number to kill it, just navigate to it and end it. It’s way easier and faster than the traditional top CLI tool.

You can also take a look at our list of top alternatives to find more utilities for system monitoring.

Apps for Gamers

Steam

Yes, Steam is a proprietary client or marketplace for purchasing/installing/managing your Linux games. But it’s the best client out there, also offering a huge library to choose from. You’ll find both free and paid options, so browse through them. To install it, you can download the .deb file from its official download page or find the installer on AppCenter or Software Center.

Discord

Without a second thought, if you’re a gamer, you have to install this one right away. Do note that it’s not an open source application.

Yes, there are alternatives to it. But nothing beats Discord when it comes to the ability to manage a server room where fellow gamers can interact and communicate on voice channels in-game. You can easily install Discord on Linux.

Media Players

Audacious

Audacious is a simple music player that is low on resources while being an open-source solution. You can customize the interface to give it a different look. To add songs, just drag and drop the folder you want. You can either install it from the Software Center or visit the official download page.

Go on, get started!

I’ve tried a lot of video players on my Windows machine and on Linux systems as well – but I keep going back to VLC pretty much every time. VLC is a simple media player that’s open-source and free as well. It supports almost every type of file format. You can download it from their website or find it on your Software Center.

Media Server Software

Kodi is definitely one of the best media server programs available for Linux. Many of the other best media server tools are based on Kodi as well.

Plex is not entirely open-source media server software, but it offers an option to create a free account. A nice UI with all the basic features you need included. Feel free to install Plex on Ubuntu.

Video Editors

If I had to choose the top two best video editors for Linux, these would be my picks.

Kdenlive

Kdenlive is one of the best free video editing programs available for Linux. It’s an open-source solution and also offers support for dual monitors. It includes most of the necessary features like basic transition effects, layout customization, multi-track editing, and so on.

OpenShot

OpenShot is an open source video editor which is easy to use and robust as well. It includes 3D effects, basic video transitions, drag and drop support, and so on.

If you want to use it for professional-grade editing, you be the judge.

Open-Source Media Converters

Handbrake

Handbrake is an impressive video converter. It supports a wide range of video codecs and quickly converts your videos. Of course, you get to choose the quality or resolution, frame rate, and a lot of other things like subtitles while converting the video.

SoundConverter

Fret not if you’re a fan of audio instead of video. We’ve got you.

SoundConverter is a powerful audio conversion tool that supports almost all file formats and converts audio files pretty fast.

Backup Tools

Backup is one of the essential parts of not only Linux but any operating system. Here are two options for you.

Timeshift

Yes, we often keep a backup of our files. But what about the driver updates and configuration changes that you perform? What if these break your entire system? In this case, Timeshift will help you take a backup (or a snapshot) of your entire OS along with all its configurations. You can easily restore it when something goes wrong. We have a guide to how to use Timeshift on Linux as well.

Bacula

Bacula is a feature-rich open-source backup tool available for Linux.

It’s not just a single program but includes a number of tools for every specific option. Also, it’s somewhat developer-oriented, so if you maintain a network of computers, you can definitely make use of Bacula.

PDF Editing Tools

LibreOffice Draw

For basic PDF editing tasks, LibreOffice Draw is the go-to solution for users who prefer FOSS. It has its limitations – but works like a charm for most use-cases. If it doesn’t fit your needs, you can check out the best Linux PDF editors available.

PDF Studio

PDF Studio is an amazing PDF editor by Qoppa software. It’s not an open source offering – in fact, it’s a paid solution for users looking to edit PDF files. It offers a bunch of features (annotate, edit, optimize, sign, watermark, etc.) for manipulating PDF files easily.

Code and Text Editors

VS Code

Even though we’re Linux users, I’ve noticed that a lot of people like the Visual Studio Code editor. It includes a smart feature to autocomplete what you write based on variable type or function definition. It’s highly recommended if you’re working with Git, because the relevant commands are built-in. And as you start exploring, you’ll discover that there’s so much more to it.

There’s also an unofficial open-source version of it, i.e. VS Codium.

In addition to VS Code, you can also look at some of the best modern code editors for your work.

An open-source editor with a lot of features. If you’re writing scientific documents or a thesis, this can come in handy with its formula editor to make things easier. You can download it right from the AppCenter or Software Center. More information can be found on their website.

Texmaker

Even though we’ve already talked about some of the best LaTeX editors, I’ll mention this as one of the essential additions to your Linux system. It’s specifically tailored for the GNOME environment but works everywhere. Its PDF conversion is blazing fast. Try it by downloading it from the App Center/Software Center or the official site.

Note Taking Apps

Simplenote

Simplenote is one of the best Evernote alternatives available for Linux. The organization behind WordPress (Automattic) is responsible for developing Simplenote. So it’s actively maintained and offers all the basic note taking features (and syncing capabilities) across multiple devices for free.

In addition to this, you can also try some of the best note taking apps for Linux.

Laverna

Laverna is an open-source note taking app available for free. You can use it as a web-based tool with its encryption functionality, or download it to your desktop.

It’s easy to use, with a decent UI. In addition, it also supports code highlighting and a to-do task list to make things easier. Give it a try!

Team Communication & Productivity

Slack

Even at It’s FOSS we used Slack before moving to our self-hosted Rocket.Chat instance — be it on a random topic or when something requires collaboration. This is not an open-source solution.

Slack on Linux is available for free, and you can opt to upgrade it to the premium version for more features. You won’t be needing a premium plan unless you’re an enterprise user with a bunch of users to manage. Free or premium, it’s an essential addition.

You can also look for open-source Slack alternatives if you don’t like it.

Franz

With this app, you no longer have to switch between different browser tabs or applications while working on something. Franz combines almost all the essential messaging/email services under one roof. You just have to launch a single application (and sign in to multiple services) to keep up with all the communication you need without switching to different applications.

If you don’t like it, there are alternatives like Rambox.

Virtualization Apps

Oracle VM VirtualBox

VirtualBox is an amazing free and open-source virtualization solution for those who want to try different distros (or experiment with stuff) without affecting your host system. There are numerous uses for it – go explore!

Authenticators

Authy

Almost everyone uses 2-factor authentication to secure their online accounts. But usually, you need your smartphone along with an authentication app for the codes, right? Fret not, with Authy, an alternative to Google Authenticator, you’ll be able to sync 2FA codes across devices without the risk of losing them. It is available for Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, and macOS as well.

Wrapping Up

We’ve tried to list all the essential applications for a Linux user here. But then again, you might have a favorite that we’ve missed.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Like what you read? Please share it with others.

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